The Cruellest Dream Is Reality
by gracie5412
Summary: Hermione wakes from a five year coma to find the love of her life engaged to someone else. How will she cope and who will she turn to to help her through it. REWRITTEN. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality**

**Summary: **Hermione wakes from a five-year coma to find that the love of her life has left her for another woman, how will she react to the loss and what will she do to get over him? HG/DM PG-13/T.

**Author's Note: **For the people reading this the first time I hope you enjoy the story, for people reading this the second time you will notice that some parts will be quite similar but don't worry as I carry on I'll be changing it so bare with me as I just set the scene. I hope you like this version better than my last one. Let me know what you all think.

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**Chapter One.  
****Coma.**

The ground was thick with mud; the soil had mixed with blood and rain alike to form a depressing sludge of earth underfoot. For days on end it had been raining, as though the weather was in mourning for all the courageous deaths, for the bodies that lay strewn across the battlefield, but finally the bullet-like drops of salty water had eased off. Atop a hill a mile away from the raging war stood four windswept figures watching the events with grim interest watching the horror unfold. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny said nothing, there was no need to they had been together long enough to know what each was thinking: this had to be stopped. Down below them it was clear what side each individual was on, the deatheaters in jet-black and the order members in crimson.

"Well this is it then." Harry announced, unable to keep the disgust from his voice as he looked at the scene.

"Is he there? Has anyone seen him yet?" Ginny asked, referring to Voldemort as she glanced around again.

"No reports yet." Hermione said as she glanced at the piece of parchment, the method of communication between the order members.

"I'll find him soon." Harry hissed with venom, looking almost eager to get down on to the field and begin the fight. He had the look of morbid determination in his eyes, they had, unfortunately, seen it many times before – but it still scared them all slightly.

"Well are we going to do this then?" Ginny asked them, not wanting to join the fight but she equally didn't want to be stood watching, doing nothing and feeling helpless.

"Yeah come on, let's go." Ron urged, sharing in the feeling.

They had been preparing for this day for the last five years, ever since their fourth year when Harry had brought them the news that Voldemort had returned and now they wanted to get it over with. And as each year passed and Voldemort committed more and more atrocious deeds the want to eliminate him grew in the heart of everyone who was against him.

The group turned ready to make the journey down the hill and into the midst of the battle. Harry did not go with them, he grabbed Hermione's arm, causing her to stop also. "Can we talk? There's something I need to say before we go down there."

Ginny and Ron, sensing the importants moved silently away allowing the couple to talk privately.

"Hermione I just, I wanted to say I love you so much, I wanted to make sure you knew that before we go down there in case…" He trailed off unable to complete the sentence.

"Harry of course I know you love me, and I love you too, but you're talking like you don't think we're going to make it."

"Well that's the thing, what if one of us doesn't?"

"We will." She said firmly taking his hands in her own. "We're both young, fit and have a head full of hexes, we're going to win this, _all _of us."

"But you don't know that for sure." His face dropped into a sad frown.

"No, I don't," She sighed sharing in his sadness, "I guess no one does. You're strong Harry, so very strong, you're going to make it, because if you don't then none of us have any hope."

Harry slipped his hand inside the pocket of his robes and pulled out a small velvet red box. Nestled in its silk lined interior was a ring. The most beautiful ring that Hermione had ever seen in her entire life – it was white gold metal with a medium sized hexagonal cut diamond surrounded by tiny little red rubies.

"When all this is over I want to marry you Hermione Granger what do you say?"

"Oh Harry!" Hermione gasped happily, "of course I'll marry you! Wow, that ring is so beautiful!"

Harry's face cracked into a huge and he pulled her into a tight, warm, loving hug.

"I love you so much Hermione!" He whispered into her thick, curly brown hair before pulling back so he could slip the engagement ring onto the ring finger of her left hand.

"I know, now come on we have a world to save." She smiled and took his hand. They walked over to where Ron and Ginny were waiting for them, wordlessly they hugged one another, not need to say the things that were running through their minds as they knew that the other were feeling the exact same thing.

As they reached the bottom of the hill they saw sure signs of the battle, people lay wounded in some cases, dead in most, they helped as many as they could along their path and even managed to disengage some deatheaters from the battle, still sticking to the order's rule of only kill when necessary. A flash of light interrupted their journey and they turned to face the sky as the wispy smoke snake slithered through the skull that made the Dark Mark.

"My guess would be that Voldemort's finally made an appearance." Ron muttered darkly.

In an instant they group turned towards the mark and quickened their pace, unfortunately as soon as the deatheaters saw the mark they specified their target from any old order member to just the four. They used everything in their power to stop them, injure them, slow them down anything just to weaken them to ensure that when they inevitably go up against Voldemort they would loose. Finally they struggled their way through the crowd to an opening in the hysteria, stood alone in the middle was stood the Dark Lord.

"Finally!" His face broke into a malice grin as they broke through the barrier of people, "I was beginning to think you weren't going to arrive at all, although I would have understood that you were all too scared to show your cowardly faces before my great presence."

"Well here I am, now can I just kill you and get it over with." Harry snarled.

"I have always said you were as cocky as your bigheaded father Potter," Snape said as he emerged from behind Voldemort with a group of deatheaters all ready to commence battle, "But now it's time for my master to show how pathetic you really are."

"Don't you dare speak of my father, he's twice the man you'll ever be!" Harry yelled pointing his wand directly at Snape's chest and fired a hex.

With the first spell thrown the fight started, so many curses and counter-curses were thrown through the air the stars in the jet-black sky could hardly be seen. The sense of time was lost and for each person reality was pushed to the far corners of their minds, all that mattered was themselves and the person they were up against. It was because of this that it took Hermione several seconds to realise that Harry was calling her, several seconds that she didn't have…she turned to see the most lethal of the Unforgivables spurt from the tip of a wand and hurtle towards her as a dizzyingly fast pace, in a moment of pure panic she forgot how to control her limbs and froze completely. Realising that she would not get out of the way in time Harry began to send a flurry of spells to attack the curse, none worked though, each just bounced off as though the curse had some sort of invisible force field surrounding it. Delving inside himself he called upon all of his energy reserves and shot the most powerful reviving spell he knew at it. The two spells combined in the air and the flash of green turned blood red this new spell was the one that hit Hermione causing her whole body to convulse. For a second everyone watched as her body crumpled into itself then the battle restarted and Hermione's form was lost in the mass of action. As much as all Harry, Ron and Ginny tried to get to her they could not, they had no idea whether she was dead or alive and they had no chance to find out. The only thing that was clear to them was that for Hermione the battle was over.

But they were wrong. For the next five years all of Hermione's existencewas the battle, over and over it was repeated every action playing out again and again as she lay on the crisp white starched sheets of the hospital bed. Most of the time she was unaware of the goings on around her, unaware that she was no longer part of the real world. When her friends came to visit her, their voices could not break through the thick barrier that had surrounded her, no matter what they tried she was unreachable.

But while Hermione had slept the rest of the world trudged on, the battle ended, Voldemort was defeated, at the hands of Harry of course, and the last of the deatheaters fled for their lives. The medical teams were finally able to return to the field after being held back for so long at the outskirts of the battle ground by their enemies and they began to salvage as many lives as they could. Unbeknownst to her Hermione was rushed to St Mungo's Hospital to get the medical attention she desperately needed.

It was determined that the spell that had hit her had caused her to go into a deep coma. The next morning Harry, Ron and Ginny crowded round her bedside – both Harry and Ron in wheelchairs and Ginny on crutches due to the injuries they all had. They stared down at their best friend's face; so pale it was almost transparent apart from the dark purple and blue bruises dotted all over her body.

There was a steady high-pitched beep to match the rise and fall of the sparkling green line hovering in midair. Harry watched it with grave interest; not quite believing that it was showing the steady heartbeat of his friend before him. Silently he sat. He heaved a great sigh, wiped the corners of his deep green eyes and turned his attention to the body occupying the bed. The sheets she lay upon were crisply starched and extremely white, they looked uncomfortable and for a few seconds wondered if she could feel them against her skin. Every now and then her eye lids would flicker slightly, not showing that they were going to open or that she would wake but instead showing that her brain was active and she was deep in dreams.

"Is she going to die?" Ginny blurted asking the question they were all secretly thinking whilst Harry freely let tears stream out of hiseyes and tumble down his cheeks.

"She is going to get through this." Ron said, making his shaky voice as firm as he possibly could. "She'll wake up soon and see what good we've done for this world." Ginny nodded silently.

None of the three really believed this; they had seen far too much sadness for them to be overly optimistic about anything that happened anymore.

Four best friends sat in room 413, quietly, sadly. An hour later three of them left and Hermione was again all-alone, the heart monitor and the breathing machine the only sound in the room.

The five years passed and Hermione was the only one brought in from the last of the war that remained in the hospital, in her brightly lit lonely room, the bunches of flowers that had once filled every counter wilted and were removed until the room was bare save for the occasional bunch brought along with a visit from her parents or friends. They all of course visited, as often as they could but as they got older their work commitments became greater and they all found it harder to find the time. However when they were there they would sit, hold her hand and talk about past events hoping that she would hear them that their words would act as a trigger and she would awaken. Most of the time she was not even aware of their presence in the room let alone what they were saying to her, yet there were moments that she would sail so close to the line between her own dream world and reality that she could hear snatches of the conversations going on around her – doctors talking about her condition to each other using medical terms that she couldn't understand or her friends and family talking to her about things that she didn't understand because she didn't have all the information.

It was six months after Hermione had missed her twenty-fourth birthday and she was sailing close to the barrier as she called it in her head, the force that kept her in the coma, she could hear a distant beeping sound, wanting to know what it was she pushed further and further. It was like swimming upwards and finally breaking through to the surface, with a sudden jolt her eyes sprung open and she let in a huge gasp or air, sitting up in a panic. Taking in the sterilised white room she tried to gather the mixed up and confused thoughts currently whizzing around inside of her head. Her breath became sharper and the beeping that had pulled her back into life became more rapid as her heart rate increased.

She had no idea where she was.

She was alone.

She was very scared.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality**

**Chapter Two.  
****Awake.**

When her wand began to beep the witch on duty had been flipping through the latest copy of _Witches Weekly _catching up on all the latest gossip, she shut the magazine and waved her wand in the air, one quick swish from left to right, and a number appeared in the air: 413. In an instant she knew whose room it was, everyone knew whose room it was, as everyone knew Hermione Granger. She hurtled down the corridor and flung open Hermione's door, the last time her wand had begun to beep it was because the patient had stopped breathing so she knew that she had to get there as quickly as possible but what she found was even more shocking than she had thought it would be. Miss Granger was awake! Something everyone had silently given up hope on but still wished would happen.

"Miss Granger." She addressed the woman quietly feeling rather star struck, it took her a couple of seconds before she was able to speak again, "Miss Granger you are in St Mungo's hospital, I'm Nurse Stevens, you were brought here after you were injured in the battle, do you remember?"

"Erm…yes." Hermione croaked her voice was sore and hard to use, as it was so out of practise. "Yes I remember, is Harry here? Is he ok? And Ron and Ginny, do you know what happened to them?"

As thoughts of her friends flooded her head she struggled to sit up wanting to get out of bed and go and find them.

"Miss Granger, please sit down!" Nurse Stevens said firmly, "I assure you you're friends are perfectly healthy."

"And the battle? Is it over? Did Harry win?" Hermione asked as she allowed the Nurse to push her gently back down on to the pillows.

"The battle is long over and yes He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was defeated. Now Miss Granger you must listen, I'm very sorry to tell you but you've been in a coma, you were brought in here five years ago and you've been asleep ever since."

"What?" Hermione whispered, "Five _years_?"

"I'm very sorry Miss Granger." Nurse Stevens, "Now I must go and inform the doctor, I'll be back soon."

Hermione sat in complete silence as the doctor appeared and began to perform tests to check she was healthy and then she was able to mumble out a few names when the nurse asked her if there was anyone she wanted contacting. And then she was alone.

Five years.

Last time she had been conscious she had still been in her teens, still had the whole of her life ahead of her, and now she found herself suddenly in her mid-twenties, a large proportion of her youth ripped from her.

Harry was asleep when the letter arrived; it was very late, or extremely early depending on how you were to look at it. With a groan he opened his eyes and lay for several seconds before it became clear what it was that had roused him from his dream: the large snowy owl tapping impatiently at the window with its sharp beak. He ripped back the blankets, wincing as the cold air hit him, and crossed the room to open the window and allow the owl to enter. In its beak was firmly clasped a piece of rolled up parchment, the wax seal was stamped with a mark the he knew very well.

"Harry what is it?" Ginny asked as she sat up and rubbed her eyes free of sleep.

"A letter from Saint Mungo's." He replied, his brow crinkled in anxiety as he broke the dark green wax seal and unfolded the piece of thick parchment.

With trembling hands he glanced down at the letter dreading the contents as he began to read.

"What does it say?" She asked.

Harry said nothing, he was too busy reading the letter again; not able to take in what it said. Ginny, propped up on one elbow, watched him read it waiting impatiently for him to finish, longing to know what it telling him but biting her tongue to stop all the awaiting questions from spilling out every five seconds.

"Well? What does it say?" She prompted as he lowered the letter letting his arm fall to hang loosely at his side.

Harry looked up, face white and emotionless, "It's Hermione. She's woken up. Hermione's awake!"

Ginny's hand flew to her mouth as she sucked in a sharp gasp; she leapt out of her side of the bed and crossed the room to take the letter from his hand so she could look at it for herself.

"So what are we going to do?" She asked him when she too had finished reading it.

"We are going to go and see her." He said with a slight shrug as he grabbed a t-shirt and pulled it over his head. With a small sigh Ginny began to clothe herself too.

At around the same time, both Ron Weasley and Mr and Mrs Granger were reading the very same letter. Ron had been staying at his parent's for the night and was quick to share the news.

"Mum!" Ron yelled and Molly Weasley rushed into the room, worried by the desperation in his tone.

"Ronald what is it? What's wrong?" She asked.

"She's awake Mum! Hermione's awake."

"Oh Merlin!" She shrieked and rushed forward, bending down to hug her son from where he was sat at the kitchen table. "And to think if you hadn't stayed tonight I wouldn't have known until the morning!"

She pulled out her wand and pointed it at the fireplace, green flames sprung up inside of it, "Off you go then." She told him as she picked up his coat and helped him into it.

"I am twenty-four years old mother, stop treating me like I'm still a child, I can look after myself." He sighed, getting sick of his mothers continual fussing and inability to realise that he could look after himself, he shook her off and put the jacket on himself before making his way over to the flames.

Once in the fireplace, green flames tickling him he looked back to Molly, and as his way of saying sorry said, "Are you not coming mum?"

"No love," She smiled at her youngest son, "You go on now and tell her that I'll come on visit her later."

Ron, however, knew that his mother was simply dying to go and see Hermione as soon as she possibly could, but would not go that night for fear of having to talk to her only daughter. For the past two years Ginny and Molly had spoken very little following a blazing row the two women had had.

This had unsettled the family a great deal as had the incident with Percy, the son who was never spoken of, but to Molly her falling out with Ginny was worse as she was the only girl and was the baby in the family. At first Ron had believed that his mother and sister would patch things up, but now he wasn't sure the reconciliation would ever happen, as he had sided with his mother and couldn't see her backing down on the argument any time soon.

With a sigh Ron focused his mind instead on his destination and stated clearly and slowly "St Mungo's Hospital."

"Jane! Jane!" Thomas Granger yelled as he bounded up the wooden stairs, taking two at a time, "Jane!"

"Tom, it's the middle of the night, I was asleep." His wife grumbled as he came into their bedroom and flicked on the light switch. "What could possibly be so important that it couldn't wait until the morning?"

"Your daughter is what. Hermione's awake!" He declared happily.

A silence followed this statement for a few moments before Jane burst into tear of joy, and the emotions that she had been holding in for the past fives year were let out.

"Come on Sweetheart, you get dressed and I'll get the car, if we set off now we'll be there by the morning." Tom said ushering her out of bed and towards her wardrobe.

"Make sure you send on owl back to tell them we're on our way," Jane called to him down the stairs, "I want our baby to know that we're coming."

While all the hustle and bustle was going on Hermione sat alone, unaware that her loved ones were on the way, tears rolled down her cheeks. After the doctor had seen her a therapist had entered her room and told her that she would feel odd to start with as to her it would feel like no time had passed but once she got back into a normal routine she would start to feel better. The only thing that was offering her any hope was the object that she was holding in her hand. Her engagement ring, to her it had been only several hours since Harry had happily slipped it onto her finger, but now she realised she had had a longer engagement then some people had had marriages. She was holding a mirror in her other hand gazing into it attempting to reacquaint herself with herself.

The door opened and a nurse walked in, "Miss Granger? Mr Potter and Miss Weasley have just arrived would you like me to send them in?"

Hermione nodded and quickly wiped the tears from her face, she fidgeted around sitting up a little straighter and gazing expectantly at the door waiting for it to open again and her best friends to walk in. she could see them in her head, their face, hear their voices. But when they walked in she was shocked. The people she remembered had been children, the people stood before her now, they were adults; they were people she did not know.

"Hermione!" Harry breathed in wonder, looking into the eyes he had almost forgotten they had been closed for so long.

"Harry! Ginny!" The tense shock was broken when she heard Harry speak, the voice still the same as it ever was, he was still the man she loved she told herself firmly as she focused on his eyes, they were exactly the same as the last time she had gazed into them.

So quickly he could barely be seen to move Harry crossed the room from where he had been standing by the doorway and to Hermione's side where he promptly threw his arms around her.

"I've missed you so much." He sobbed into her hair.

Wordlessly she soothed him by stroking his hair like she had done whenever he had gotten agitated in the past, it was easy for her to slip back into her role of girlfriend. It was a habit that he hadn't forgotten and sent him hurtling back into the past.

"Ginny you look so much like your mother!" Hermione said turning her attention to her other friend in the room while Harry recalled his memories.

An awkward look was passed between Ginny and Harry but no comment was made about it.

"It's good to hear your voice again Hermione." Ginny told her, also stepping forward for a hug.

"So fill me in! I've been told all about The Battle, although I'll want to hear that from you too at some point, but tell me what's been going on with your lives since then." Hermione prompted, but was met with a stony silence. Both of her friends' faces were slightly flushed. "What? Come on guys tell me, what's happened?"

She began to panic, thinking the very worse. Her eyes then clocked the glistening diamond ring on Ginny's left hand, the fact that Harry reached for Ginny's hand before either of them spoke and the look of shame on both of their faces; it then all fell into place.

"No! Please tell me I'm crazy! You can't be – but I – He – You!" Hermione stuttered, not even able to say it as the tears filled her eyes.

"Let me explain Hermione." Harry said soothingly, but merely made Hermione wail in agony as her worst beliefs were confirmed.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality**

**Chapter Three.  
****Unwelcome Surprises.**

"You're engaged!" Hermione said accusingly.

Neither Harry nor Ginny could vocalise an answer instead they lowered their eyes to the floor their cheeks flushed red and quietly nodded.

"But Harry! You and I! You proposed I'm still wearing the ring you gave me!" She said holding up her left hand so they could see the ring, which Hermione noticed was smaller than the one Ginny was wearing. A further stab of jealousy went through her.

"That was five years ago Hermione." He said quietly, not raising his eyes from looking at the floor intently studying the pattern of the linoleum tiles.

"I'm sorry I didn't realise that there was a time limit attached." She snapped, her sadness turning to anger.

"We didn't mean it to happen Hermione." Ginny whispered, her own eyes also brimming with tears.

"If you hadn't meant it to happen then it wouldn't have." She sniffed, a great painful lump wedging itself in her throat making it painful to talk. It felt like a huge jagged shard of glass and the more she tried to swallow it down the bigger and more painful it became.

"Don't be like this." Harry pleaded. "Please Hermione."

"Like what? Upset? When you find out you fiancé has been cheating on you for five bloody years I think you're entitled to be upset!" She shrieked even though it hurt her throat. "How long have you two been together?" She demanded.

"Two years, but only engaged for one. I waited for you to wake up for three years; did you expect me to wait my entire life? Did you want me to spend the rest of my days waiting by your bedside without a life of my own?"

"No! It's not that. But to me it hasn't been five years, to me I'm still a teenager, to me the battle only just happened, to me it's still the same day you proposed. It's a little hard to gain a fiancé and loose one in the same day, so don't shout at me ok?" she tried to explain, the level of sadness rising in her voice, as much as she was angry at Harry she still loved him dearly.

"We didn't mean it to happen," Ginny said again, "We we're both upset we'd been told that you'd definitely would never wake up and I'd just broken up with my boyfriend. We were there for each other in a time of need. We never meant to fall in love, it happened before we realised it had. And you can't stand in the way of true love now can you? I know it's unfair but it's the way of life isn't it, it's not like we set out to hurt you."

They had been at a party celebrating the birthday of someone they hardly knew and cared very little about, they had both been dragged along by a friend and were both sat unwilling to join in with the merriment that was around them. Both had drunk a considerable amount of alcohol thinking that if they could get drunk enough they'd start to enjoy themselves. Both of them had fogged up heads and neither was thinking clearly. Harry had just returned from visiting Hermione in St Mungo's and was sinking further and further into the black pit of depression and Ginny had just returned from her boyfriend's, well ex-boyfriend's, flat and was feeling horribly insecure. She had now decided that in order to feel better about herself she would find a guy to be with that night and was keeping her eyes open for an adequate specimen.

It had been Ginny who had gone to join Harry where he had been seated on the stairs; it had been her who had suggested they go back to her place. She had wanted to get back at her ex, and what better way then sleep with a celebrity? Especially if she was already in love with him. She hadn't planned on building a relationship with him when they had slept together that night, she had been too drunk to be that smart, but the next morning when she woke and saw Harry lying next to her, her brain began to tick and she began to scheme. She had always been upset that Hermione had ended up with Harry, she had always viewed it as Hermione stealing Harry from her, so she felt she was perfectly just in stealing him back. No, she told herself, I'm not stealing him back I'm simply reclaiming my property. And with that thought she never felt guilty about her actions again.

Harry had quite un-consciously been ensnared; Ginny had found long ago that Harry might be physically and mentally strong yet in matters of the heart he was extremely weak. Ginny had convinced him to spend time with her out of sympathy as she was newly single, and he had ended up spending most evenings at her place, although he didn't sleep with her for a long time. He told himself forcefully that he was being committed to Hermione yet he knew he still had feelings for Ginny. He thought he could manage him feelings and that he and Ginny could quite easily be friends yet whenever she made advances for him he found it harder and harder to resist.

"I think I'd like you to leave." Hermione choked through the tears coursing down her face. "Now!"

Both Harry and Ginny tried to get Hermione to talk to them, to listen as they tried to explain to her, make her understand their side of the story, not only to make her feel better but also so the feelings of guilt inside them would subside. But she would not take any notice; she turned onto her side, back to them refusing to turn back, unable to face them again. Finally they admitted defeat and walked from the room leaving her alone once more. Harry stopped in the doorway and turned back to her mouth open as though to say something, but after a moment's silence he closed it again and turned and walked away, quietly closing the door behind him.

As soon as she was alone she rolled onto her back. For ten minutes she lay and wept, feeling undoubtedly sorry for herself. There was a knock at her door, shaking her from her sorrows. A nurse walked in.

"Miss Granger? Mr Weasley had just arrived would you like me to send him in to see you?" She asked.

"Ron's here? Yes! Send him in please." Hermione sniffed quickly wiping away the tears from her face and dabbing at her running nose with a tissue from the box at her bedside. She pulled herself up so she was sitting

The nurse disappeared for a few minutes, shutting the door as she left. For several long minutes the room was completely silent while Hermione waited for her friend to enter the room, her mood lifted fractionally with the anticipation. Although dread was filling her, she was nervous to find out what type of person Ron had turned into, it had been a long time since she had seen him, she was worried he would be how she remembered him.

Finally the door swung open and a grin spread across her face, but as Ron came into view the smile faded and fell from her face completely.

"Ron what happened to you?" She gasped.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Four.  
****Catching Up. **

Ron's figure filled the width of the door yet he only came up to waist height due to the fact he was seated in a wheelchair.

"Ron?" Hermione asked in hushed tones, eyes brimming with tears as she watched her friend push his chair to her bedside.

"It's nice to hear your voice Hermione." He said softly as he wrapped his arms around her neck. She had to lean forward a little so he could reach up but she closed her arms around him and hugged him back.

"What happened to you?" she asked, half of her wanting to know and half of her dreading the answer.

Ron simply shrugged and with a grin replied, "Same as you I'm told, I got hit by a spell that they don't know the nature of and it caused both of my ankles to shatter."

"Can't they fix it? Can't you just take a potion or cast a spell and grow them back?" She asked frantically.

He raised an eyebrow, a slight smirk on his face, "We have actually already tried that one Hermione." She gave a small, embarrassed laugh as he continued, "We've tried everything anyone can think of, we even took out all my bones and regrew them but they just came back in shattered."

"But that's terrible!" Hermione exclaimed, full of empathy.

"You get used to it," Ron shrugged of the sympathetic looks and looked up at her and grinned, "Anyway you have given me new hope! If you can recover from the spell that hit you I can recover from mine, it'll just take time is all."

"So you might get better then? You may be able to walk again?" She asked him hopefully.

"They said it's almost impossible, but then again they said that about you waking up and look how you proved them wrong!" He grinned, "It's really good to see you again."

"You too, Ron, it's good to see you too."

"So when are you allowed to finally get out of this dive?" He asked, looking around the small room, completely unimpressed.

"I'm not really sure," Hermione shrugged, "As soon as they get all of the tests back and know I'm not about to keel over or die. I hope it's soon though."

It was two days later when Hermione was discharged from the hospital. Her parents picked her up and she returned home with them, they had agreed that she would stay with them for a short while as she attempted to sort out the scattered shards that had once been her life.

"Are you ok my darling?" Jane Granger asked as they climbed into the family car.

"Yes mum I'm fine." Hermione sighed, that was the fourth time that her mother had asked her that since they had left her hospital room just twenty minutes earlier. That was once every five minutes.

"Your room's just how you left it we haven't touched a single thing." Her father, Thomas, reassured her.

"Oh Aunty Susan will be so pleased to see you again! Her Emma got married just last month. Such a shame that you missed it, it really was a lovely service, and you should have seen her dress, it was beautiful!"

What else have I missed? Hermione thought to herself as her mother babbled on, she was getting the distinct impression that the next few weeks were going to be very hard for her.

Finally they drove into a drive lined with pink and white rose bushes – her father was a keen gardener – and the car engine was switched off.

Hermione slowly climbed the cream carpeted stairs and opened the door to her old bedroom. Her father had been right about the room; it was exactly how she remembered it from all those years before. The same dark green walls, deep purple light shade, bedspread and rug. All the furniture was pine and there was three shiny picture frames hung on the wall. There was even the box filled with the last of the things that she had been planning to take to her new flat before the battle had began. The only thing that gave away the fact that Hermione was not a muggle was the picture framed on her wall. They were not ordinary photographs, the figures inside the frame were moving, when they were actually in the picture, sometimes they weren't even there at all.

One was of Hermione sitting on a swing as a young child of five swinging happily back and forth, seeing how high the movement of her legs could take her. Her parents were sat nearby sitting in the shade of the tree that the swing hung from smiling at their daughter's happiness and partaking in a conversation with hushed tones that could not be heard outside of the frame. She had come across the negatives in her last year at Hogwarts and had developed them magically to give the figures life. The second was a more recent time, it had been the last year that they had spent together in Hogwarts – it was of her, Ron, Ginny and Harry by the lake. Harry and Ron were throwing a Frisbee that had been a new creation of Fred and George that would explode when dropped, Ginny was teasing the giant squid by poking one of its large tentacles with a long stick, and Hermione was watching, laughing at her. The last brought tears to her eyes; it was of her and Harry, their arms wrapped tightly around one another grinning to the camera they were sat in a restaurant at their table. They had only just begun dating and a photographer from _Witches Weekly _had asked for their picture, they couple had been in high spirits so they had agreed and posed. Every now and then they would turn to each other to kiss, rub noses or simply gaze into each other's eyes. Hermione sat down on her bed in a stunned silence, unable to move, she felt as though she was momentarily frozen, unable to move or make a noise, until a huge sob worked its way from her chest up her throat. It came out of her mouth as a huge wail and it was like a cork being popped, making way for the tears that began to pour from her. She lay on her bed and cried herself sleep that night.

The next afternoon Ron came to visit her. Hermione's mother called her down from her bedroom where she had spent her day Hermione dragged herself out of bed, jammed her feet into the powder blue slippers and she trudged down the stairs. Ron was in the living room making polite conversation with her parents.

"Hi Hermione." He grinned when she walked into the room.

"Hello Ron." She gave him a brief, tight-lipped smile, the best she could manage at the time, "Let's go outside." She suggested.

They made their way into the small garden where Hermione went to sit on the same swing that featured in the photograph in her room. Ron wheeled up behind her and began to push her lightly. For a while they stayed silent.

"I've missed so much haven't I?" she sighed and jammed her feet into the ground stopping her from swinging back and forth. She tuned, the ropes twisting, to face Ron.

"It's been five years; of course you've missed some things."

"Yes, but how much? Who else will I bump into and be completely gob-smacked at what's happened to them or what they tell me?"

"Well ok." Ron sighed and rested his head in his hand, he was calling to mind everything of importance that he could remember happening in the previous five years. "Let's see – Fred and George are living over in France now, in their second shop, they handed the shop in Diagon Alley over to me, they've been over there for about three years I think. Bill and Fleur had their first child, Jacque, he'll be four soon. I'm an uncle! How great is that?"

"Very. I bet your mum is thrilled."

"Yeah she is, she's always spoiling him. She's not so happy with Ginny though. In fact they haven't spoken a word to each other since she found out about the engagement. She's still firmly on your side."

"But she adores Harry!"

"Not so much anymore. Not since what he did to you and I have to say that I agree with her."

"You and Harry aren't friends anymore?" Hermione was shocked; she had always thought that Harry and Ron would be friends forever, no matter what happened to them.

"I wouldn't say not friends, we still go out for drinks from time to time or I'll go for dinner, but we're not close anymore. I understand why he did it and I think that he was justified to do it, but the fact that he went back with Ginny made it bad, he should of thought of the repercussions that it would cause. I mean how would he have felt if you and I had started dating if he'd had been the one in the coma? He would have gone berserk!"

"And quite rightly so!" Hermione cried. "I think I would feel less cheated if he was with some new unknown girl now, it's more I feel betrayed by them both than anything. But it's awful that you're not friends anymore!"

"That's life Hermione." he sighed, "Anyway that's not the worse thing that happened, after the battle we spoke to Percy for the first time in three years."

"What happened?" She asked, eager to know what had happened.

"It was at his trial."

"Trial!" Hermione gasped, "What for?"

"He was a Deatheater." Ron told her grimly, "We should have seen it coming, he always was a power hungry guy, he got it into his head that You-Know-Who was the one that could give it to him. They found him after the battle I didn't even know about it until mum told me, we had no idea that he had gone to the other side."

"Your poor parents they must have gone through hell." Hermione whispered, her heart going out to Mr and Mrs Weasley.

"He was found at the end of the battle, unconscious in a Death Eater's uniform and there were witnesses who saw him killing people, so he was sentenced to life in Azkaban. The worst thing was when Mum tried to talk to him, he was so horrible, and he said he never wanted to see her, or any of us, again."

They were silent for a few minutes until Hermione spoke up again.

"Any happy news so I'm not completely depressed?" Hermione asked.

"Erm…Oh, Remus and Tonks are still together, I think they might be planning to get married sometime in the near future."

"Finally! It only took them, what, eight years?"

"I know, stupid isn't it?" Ron chuckled and then remembered something else, "Oh yeah Luna and Colin got married."

"Colin Creevey? How did that happen?"

"She took over her father's magazine and employed him as photographer, they fell in love and got married, she's expecting their second kid any day now."

"You should have seen the article she published about Harry's engagement. I thought she didn't like you because you were so against divination but compared to you she must despise Ginny! In fact, if you hold on, I've got a copy at home somewhere I'll show it to you."

With a loud pop Ron and his chair disappeared, he returned to the exact spot just minutes later, a copy of the Quibbler clutched in his hand. He quickly found the right page and handed it over to her.

_**HARRY HAS IT ALL**_

_Harry James Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, who went up against Voldemort a grand total of six times, has got it into his head that he can have it all because of his fame._

_On the night of The Battle, just four short years ago, he proposed to Hermione Anne Granger, the ring a beautiful diamond lined with tiny rubies that we at The Quibbler believed to have been hand crafted by fairies, although the jewellers will disclose no information on the ring in question._

"That's just stupid," Ron, snorting as he read the last sentence, "Fairies don't work on jewellery, where does she get this stuff from?" Hermione shushed him and continued to read.

_During the war Miss Granger was hit by two spells combined together which has sent her into a coma. Although it could have easily been a Gafrer Dust Mite leaping down her throat, as its breath is know to cause a deep sleep. We have given this suggestion to St Mungo's Hospital but they didn't seem to take it too seriously._

_Just one year ago it seems that Harry Potter got bored of waiting for his bride-to-be to wake up and found an interest in his former school days girlfriend – Ginerva 'Ginny' Weasley. Harry and Ginny dated briefly in his sixth (her fifth) year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry._

_For the past year we have seen Harry and Ginny out together in various locations on dates. Now we learn that Mr Potter and Miss Weasley are engaged. The staff at The Quibbler have all voiced their outrage at how poorly Hermione has been treated by the man she loves. In our eyes Harry Potter is a no good, attention seeking cheater and needs his values checking._

_But after extensive research we have found another reason as to why _

_Harry may be acting so out of character. A Love Bug has burrowed under his skin and this is why he is acting in such a strange manner. We suggest that he gets himself down to a hospital for treatment so he can get over his infatuation and get on with his life._

_If you know anyone whom you think is under the influence of a Love Bug of any type turn to page 25 to see a list of symptoms and please consult your doctor._

_Written – Luna Creevey._

"Wow. I'm sure Ginny and Harry were pleased to read that." Hermione said sarcastically.

"Mum loved it, it backed up her point exactly, well apart from the Love Bug thing. Witch Weekly ran a sane version of the article. They'll all be wanting interviews with you now, just wait Hermione, they'll love you!"

And he was right, just a couple of days later Hermione was plagued with letters from newspapers and magazines asking her how she felt about Harry's new relationship, and what she planned on doing with her life. Hermione gave them all the same answer, 'she was sad that she was no longer with Harry, but she understood his need to move on with his life and as to her plans she was currently getting back into the swing of things but was planning to get work and start a new life soon.'

"Ha! That's great," Ron laughed as he read it, "Everyone will feel sorry for you, that's really going to annoy Ginny, she hates being disliked. It bloody well severs her right!"


	5. Chapter 5

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**A.N - **i just want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed I appreciate your support so much, it's what gives me the inspiration to keep writing, a couple of people have asked if they can read the old version of this story, as it isn't actually posted anywhere currntly I can send it to you if you give me your email address. let me know in a review if you want to.  
To anyone who is reading the other story I am in the middle of writing I want to apologise that it's been so long, but I've hit a brick wall plot wise and it may take me a while to sort it all out but don't give up, I promise that i will finish it!

**Chapter Five.  
****It's My Birthday And I'll Cry If I Want To **

The moment Hermione opened her eyes she wished she hadn't. It was her birthday but she was in no mood to celebrate, all she wanted to do was pulled the bed cover tightly over her head and sleep through the whole day. But she knew no one would allow her to do this, she could already hear her mother's foot steps on the stairs coming up to serve her breakfast in bed as she did on every single on of Hermione's birthdays. And sure enough just seconds later the door swung open and Mrs Granger entered the room clutching a tray laden with a plate of toast, saugsages, bacon and scrambled egg. Hermione's father followed her in holding presents in his arms.

"Happy Birthday darling girl!" Mrs Granger trilled cheerfully.

"Thanks mum, dad." Hermione smiled as she sat up in her bed.

"Open your presents." Jane Granger instructed.

Hermione did so, feeling more like it was her fifth birthday than her twenty-fifth with the way her mother was treating her. Although in a way she was glad that there was something to distract her from the rest of the world, six months had passed since she had woken up but still the story littered the magazines, when she was walking down the street people would come up to her and tell her how sorry they were for what had happened and how terrible it must be for her. All she wanted was to be left alone to get over Harry in her own time, it was as though every time he felt she was feeling a little better someone would remind her of what happened and she would be right back at square one.

Once all the presents had been opened and she had chocked down half of her stone cold breakfast she was left in peace. Not for long though, about five minutes later an owl began tapping on her windowpane. With a groan she pushed back her quilt and climbed out of the warm bed to open the window, letting out a gasp as she did due to how cold the air was. The owl flapped in, dropped the letter on the bed, gave a sharp hoot and flew out the window. Hermione shut it firmly and hurried back to her bed to wrap herself back up in the blanket before opening the letter.

_Hermione,_

_You can get your present from me at the party I'm throwing for your birthday tonight, so you see, you have to come else you won't get it! Be at my house for eight._

_Ron. X_

Hermione sighed; she was really not in the mood for a party. Ron obviously knew that, else the owl wouldn't have been so quick to leave after delivering the note. To make matters worse Hermione's mother returned to the room a while later and found the letter.

"Oh you have to go!" She insisted, "You've been moping around for months since you got back from the hospital, you've hardly seen anyone at all. This will be good for you. Now you just need to find something to wear, let's have a look shall we?"

She went over to the wardrobe and flung open the doors in excitement.

"Ah no, this is no good, no good at all." She tutted as she flicked through the clothes hanging up, all casual wear that Hermione had been wearing since she had returned from the hospital, she had no need from formal wear as she hadn't had to go out much.

"What now?" Hermione sighed.

"You've nothing to wear."

"Looks like I won't be able to go then, oh dear what a shame!" She said sarcastically.

"We'll just have to go out shopping." Her mother smiled, "Come on, get dressed I want you downstairs in ten minutes."

Hermione had sighed and protested for as long as she could but after arguing her mother had convinced her to come on the condition that they would only go to muggle shops so there was no chance she would be recognised.

It was a full three hours before they returned arms weighed down with many brightly coloured carrier bags, all of them 'birthday treats', mostly things Mrs Granger had liked that Hermione hadn't argued strongly enough to stop her buying.

For the next few hours Hermione desperately thought of any excuse that she could to get out of going to the party but finally she admitted defeat. This is why at quarter past eight she arrived outside Ron's house where, by the sound of things, the party was already underway. She knocked quietly, hoping that no one would hear and she'd be able to return home, but Ron opened the door and pulled her inside.

"Hermione! Happy Birthday, come on in you can have your present later."

Hermione looked around the room crowded with people with a fearful glance, "Who are they all?"

"People from school mostly, a few from the Order." He shrugged, "Just the people who wanted to wish you a happy birthday."

Ron soon wheeled away as he spotted someone that he wanted to talk to in the crowd. All alone, Hermione stood in the hall watching the happy people around her. From time to time someone would come over to her to say 'hello' and 'happy birthday', telling her that they were so glad that she was awake. She smiled as each of them and pretended that she was happy to be there.

Twenty excruciatingly boring minutes passed until Hermione gave up and wondered across the room and out into the garden. Dusk was setting in casting the yard in a pale orange glow. Sitting down on the cold brick steps she looked around, there was no one else out there and the only noise was from the small hand built waterfall trickling into the pond, all the flowers had closed up into tight buds for the night.

The squeak of tires came up behind her and Ron joined her, sitting in silence looking out over his garden.

"So what's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing." Hermione answered too quickly.

Ron looked at her with an eyebrow raised sceptically, it was clear he didn't believe her.

"I don't know anyone here!" She moaned.

"Of course you do, Neville was looking for you earlier and look there's Colin and Luna." He pointed over to the kitchen window; through it the married couple were dancing together.

"But I don't know them, not anymore. I knew them five years ago; they all have lives now and families. They're all completely different now."

"And have you even tried to catch up with any of them yet? You could make a little effort you know!"

"What would I say, so what have you been doing for the past five years while I've been in a coma and my fiancé ran off with one of my supposed best friends?" She snapped.

"What Harry and Ginny did was inexcusable, but you can't take it out on everyone!" He protested, his voice rising slightly.

"Just watch me!" She yelled and stood up.

"What the hell is your problem? I threw you a party, all these people came to show you how pleased they are that you're awake and all you can do is sit out here and sulk!" He yelled back.

"Well it's not like I asked you to do it!" She retorted.

"And if I hadn't what would you have done today? You'd just have sat around feeling sorry for yourself."

"Well at least it would have been my choice!"

"You need to move on!" He yelled. "Harry and Ginny are getting married in a month, despite the amount of people who disagree, you'll never be able to have your own life until you accept that."

"Where do you get off telling me what to do with my life, it's not like you've ever been in love anyway!" She yelled.

"And you would know that wouldn't you? Because you really know what's going on in my life with you having been asleep for most of it." He laughed harshly.

"That was a really cheap shot Ron." Hermione whispered, her eyes filling up with tears.

She stood up and walked back inside the house, through the crowds of people and out the front door, slamming it firmly behind her. Once outside she apperated back to her parents' house. When she arrived home she rushed upstairs not saying a word to her mother or father and into her bedroom. Locking the door firmly behind her and going to lay down on her bed to think about what Ron had said to her. Something suddenly came back to her – One month. Harry and Ginny would be getting married in one month, that's what Ron had said!

Hermione woke the next morning feeling absolutely no desire to get out of bed or leave her room. For a long while she didn't until the insistent knocking on her door became too much to bear. Her mother walked in when Hermione got up and unlocked the door.

"What's wrong?" Her mother asked her as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Nothing." She sighed, wishing everyone would stop asking her that. Her mother looked around the room and noted that two or the three pictures that had been on the wall had been taken down. She found the torn up in the bin the glass in the frames smashed.

"Would you excuse me I want to get dressed." Hermione said tersely, following her mother's line of view.

Once alone she quickly dressed in some of the new clothes that she bought the previous day and hurried downstairs and out of the front door calling to her parents that she was going out, shutting the door before they could reply.

She walked along the street until she reached a secluded point where she was able to disapperate. Reappearing at the end of the long drive that led to the Burrow, the former house of her friend. The door was opened as soon as she knocked and Molly Weasley flung her arms around Hermione's neck.

"Hermione dear! I'm so glad you've come to visit us, Charlie's here too come and say hello. Do come in, have you eaten? I could make you something."

She followed Mrs Weasley through into the kitchen where Charlie and Mr Weasley were sat discussing something. They both greeted her warmly as she entered and she was reminded of the holidays when she had visited, it had felt like her second home, the people living there like her second family.

"So how are you my dear?" Molly asked as she placed a plate of full English breakfast down in front of her.

"Still a little sad but I'm getting there, it's still hard, sometimes I wish I could just get away from it all and spend some time recovering away from everyone else." Hermione answered truthfully, she found that with talking to Mrs Weasley she could be completely honest, she didn't feel she had to hide her emotions. "I still thought I'd be kicking and screaming and ready to rip his face off, but I'm just sad."

"I tell you when they first came and told us all that they were engaged I was ready to curse them into high heaven. I couldn't believe that they could be so selfish, all I could think of was how badly they were treating you. Ginny and I had an argument and we haven't really spoken a lot since then. She didn't like the fact that I didn't support her. I suppose I was being a bad mother."

"Are you going to the wedding?" Hermione asked a little later.

"I'm not sure, I wasn't planning on it, it would be awkward after everything that's been said."

"You should go." Hermione said quietly, "I appreciate your support I really do and as hard as it is for me to accept that Harry is over me I have to. She's your only daughter, it's her wedding day she needs her mother there."

A tiny part of her felt better as she left the Burrow that afternoon, she knew that Mrs Weasley desperately missed her daughter and as painful as it was to know she was never going to get the man she loved back she felt a little less guilty knowing she wasn't standing between a mother and a daughter.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Six.  
****Memory Lane. **

"So have we forgotten anyone?" Harry asked as he sealed the last of the envelopes containing their wedding invitations.

"Nope I think that's it." Ginny grinned as she checked the long list of names.

Harry got up from his chair and crossed the room, planting a kiss on the side of Ginny's head as he passed her, and walked into the kitchen. Waiting until the door was firmly closed behind him she pulled out one more invitation that she had been hiding from Harry. Unable to keep the smirk of her face Ginny slipped the invitation addressed to Hermione into an envelope and placed it in the middle of the pile so Harry wouldn't find it.

"That'll teach her for stealing my boyfriend." She muttered.

In the nine years that had passed since Hermione and Harry had started dating Ginny had never been able to get over her jealousy. She had always loved Harry, much longer than Hermione had and the anger that she had felt when the couple had first got together had never subsided. Even when she had got Harry for herself she couldn't help but want to rub it in Hermione's face, she had felt threatened by her; she was smarter prettier and had been able spend a lot more time with Harry while they were in school. Ginny had always felt inferior and now she had power over her she was determined to use it. Hermione would never actually come to the wedding, Ginny knew that, and she also knew that Hermione would be upset when she was reminded that Harry was no longer with her, but Ginny felt that she was perfectly just in marking her territory. Unfortunately she knew Harry wouldn't feel the same about the matter so she decided to hide it from him.

"Why don't I go to the post office now, it would be best to get them sent as soon as possible." Ginny said, leaping to her feet as Harry re-entered the room.

She collected up the invitations placing them safely in a box and tucking under her arm before disapperating.


	7. Chapter 7

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Seven.  
****Leaving. **

_Azkaban Guard Wanted  
__30,000 Galleons per year  
__Residence included  
__For more information contact Head Guard  
__Alyssia Griffin at the address below_

Hermione put down the newspaper, a slight frown upon her brow.

"Why do they need guards at Azkaban? What about the Dementors?" She asked Ron.

He was sat at the small pine table in the kitchen sipping at his coffee. She had been at his house since he had found her the previous night stumbling down Diagon Alley blind drunk. Knowing that she was in no state to face her parents he had taken her back to his own home and put her to bed. After drinking the hangover cure Ron had made for her she was beginning to perk up again, the headache receding to just a slight thud.

"The Dementors aren't working for Azkaban anymore. Not since Voldemort came back." Ron explained, "And when he was killed the Ministry decided that they didn't want to have to question the loyalty of the creatures that guarded our most dangerous criminals. Quite smart really, so now they use people instead."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Hermione asked, "Haven't people been hurt?"

"Well of course some have, but it's like any job working with criminals, there's so many safety precautions there's not that much danger in it, not as much as you'd think. Plus they only ever use people they know could cope physically and magically, you have to pass a medical and have at least Excellent on your Defence Against The Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration and Potions N.E.W.Ts."

"And you actually have to live on the island? That would be awful, I'd hate to be so close to the prison all the time!"

"It's not that bad really the guards live on the other side of the island, only two people have to stay near the actual cells at all times so they just do it in shifts."

"You seem to know an awful lot about it all." She commented looking toward him questioningly.

"Yeah, before I found out that my ankles weren't going to fix anytime soon I was thinking of applying for a job."

"Why?"

"I guess because I wanted to get away from it all, leave all the memories, I didn't know about Percy then, of course, I guess looking back it's a good job I didn't go." He looked down sadly, flooded with emotion.

Hermione reached out and squeezed his hand, she could imagine how hard things must have been for him over the past few years.

"I miss him so much, it's strange Hermione, he always used to get on my nerves when we were at home but now he's not there I want to hear him prattle on about cauldron thickness or whatever else it was."

"It's hard, but we all have to be strong. All of us have scars that will take along time to heal. But they will I promise. I will get over Harry and you will come to terms with what your brother's done."

An hour later Ron had gone, had to go to work, and Hermione was alone his house, he had told her she could stay as long as she wanted. She tried to busy herself with cleaning up the breakfast things and flipping through various magazines all sadly seeming to contain Harry and Ginny's wedding, but found that she kept drifting back to the newspaper to read the job advertisement. Ron's words were ringing in her head _'to get away from it all, leave all the memories' _it would be a perfect solution to her problem, she was trying to get over her feeling for Harry but couldn't do so if she was around constant reminders of him. If she couldn't see him she could get over him much quicker!

By the end of the evening she had made up her mind on what she was to do. As she watched the owl flap away from the past office, job application clasped firmly in its beak, she tried her hardest to quell the feeling of hope rising inside her.

It's no good getting your hopes up, she told herself firmly, you'll only be disappointed if in the long run.

She kept up this line of thought for the five days that it took for Azkaban to reply. Only then, when she was called in for an interview did she allow herself to feel a small amount of happiness and pride. She was slowly starting to get her life back in control and she couldn't wait for it to happen.

The interview was in the Ministry building the next morning and comprised of a medical to test her strength and endurance and then a written test, which of course she had no worries over she could do exams. By the afternoon she had been deemed fit enough and intelligent enough to work at Azkaban. The whole process was extremely fast, there being only one other applicant, and she was offered the job that evening. Only then, when she had been offered the job did she allow herself to feel a small amount of happiness and pride. She was slowly starting to get her life back in control and she couldn't wait for it to happen.

The letter she had been sent said that she should come over as soon as possible so Hermione began to pack up her belongings. Her practical, organised side kicked in and she made lists of all the things that needed to be done, finding that if she threw all her energy into the task and doing what was need she could keep her mind off Harry and not dwell on what could have been. She wrote letters to Gringotts and the Post Office to alert them of her sudden change of address and sorted out all the other little loose ends that needed seeing to.

Early the next morning she headed into the Ministry to talk to the Department of Transportation to arrange a Portkey to take her to the Island. It was set up to leave at midnight that night from outside the Shrieking Shack. All she had left to do was say goodbye.

She went to her parents first, they were shocked at the abruptness of her news but were glad that she was doing something with her life. Being muggles they did not know how bad some of the people in Azkaban would be and Hermione had no intention of telling them, why should she make they worry any more than they would? But as she opened the door to leave, two hours after arriving, her mother promptly burst into tears.

"Promise me you won't do anything stupid, promise me you'll be careful," She pleaded, "And promise that as soon as you can get a better job you'll come home."

"Mum I'll be fine."

"Just promise me. I've nearly lost you once I don't want to have to do it again."

"Ok mum, I promise." Hermione said giving her parents what she hoped was a reassuring smile.

After also giving her father a hug and promising to write very soon she left for the Burrow. Molly Weasley was almost as tearful as her mother had been and also asked the same promises of her.

"I suppose you'll be going to see Ron?" Molly asked.

"Yeah, that's my last stop before I set off." Hermione grinned although the butterflies in her stomach had started to flutter.

"You can use the fireplace if you want, it'll be quicker."

"Thanks." Hermione smiled and picked up the pot of Floo powder.

"You look happier today, I'm glad." Molly stated, "Does this mean you're getting over Harry?"

"I'm starting to, it still feels like I'll never stop loving him, but at least this way he won't always be around. You mustn't hate them for what they did, they were only getting on with life."

"I know dear, but when Arthur and I were so positive that you would wake up it was hard to agree with their reasoning. They gave up when we were still fighting, it made me angry."

"She's your only daughter, I may never forgive her for what she's done but you can, try before it's too late." Hermione said quietly before tossing a handful of powder into the flames.

"Hermione." Molly called and she turned back toward the kitchen, "Keep an eye on my Percy will you? Let me know how he is, you know he hasn't even written to me once?"

Looking at Molly closely Hermione could see the look of defeat in the older woman's eyes, the weariness that comes with grief. Wordlessly she nodded and walked into the flames.

With a firm jolt she landed in the fireplace located in Ron's living room, glad she hadn't fallen flat on her face, she stepped out into the room dusting the ash off of her clothes.

"Hermione!"

"Ron," She grinned looking toward him, her face then fell as she saw who was with him, "Oh hello Harry." She said in a flat tone.

"Hermione." He muttered, shame filling his face, he couldn't bring his eyes to meet hers.

"Ron I need to talk to you," She told him then shooting a dirty look at Harry added, "Alone."

He took the brake off of his wheelchair, telling Harry that he wouldn't be long, and wheeled into the kitchen after her.

"Why is he here?" She fumed as soon as the door was closed.

"They just got back from their honeymoon, he came to say hello." Ron shrugged.

"Oh good for him." She snapped sarcastically.

"I thought you said yesterday that you were feeling better about Harry and Ginny." Ron reminded her.

"I do, just not when I come face to face with him, especially when I'm not prepared to. Anyway that's not the point, I'm here to say goodbye, I'm going to Azkaban I applied for the job."

"That's great, well done, stay for a drink and we can celebrate." Ron smiled, happy that his friend had been successful.

"Not I don't think I should, say goodbye to Harry for me."

Without giving him time to reply she disapperated, leaving him responding to thin air. As soon as she arrived back at her house she collapsed down onto her bed, she was shocked that just seeing him had shaken her so much.

"I can do this, I will find someone new." She told herself firmly as she got up and went to check the boxes that would be picked up to put into storage in her Gringotts vault a little later that day.

It was gone eight by the time the pick up man had shrunk down all of her possessions and taken them away so Hermione had a late odd type dinner using up all the things left over in the cupboards.

Finally after hours of jittery waiting the clock ticked around to quarter to twelve and she pulled on her boots and a thick black cloak. It took her a while to find the Portkey when she arrived at the Shrieking Shack but after lighting her wand and scanning the floor she found it in the form of a tattered high-heeled shoe. After a few minutes of waiting she felt the familiar tug at her navel and the world around her rushed into a blur. Her knees buckled as she landed and after a second or two of wobbling she fell to the floor. A hand shot out and pulled her back to her feet.

"Hi there, I'm Alyssia Griffin, Head Guard, nice to meet you."

"Hermione Granger." Hermione introduced herself as she bent down to pick up her bag.

"It's so great that you could come so promptly, but as we weren't actually expecting you until the start of next week we haven't written you into the rota yet. I suppose that you can use the couple of days to get to know your way around the island."

They began to walk but soon came to a stop outside an average sized log cabin that reminded Hermione of a larger version of Hagrid's hut at Hogwarts. She was instructed to place her wand inside the keyhole: it could be used as a key from then on. After showing her around Alyssia left her to settle, unpack and sleep.

After unpacking some of her possessions she gave up and instead lay down on her bed, curling up in a small ball a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. She lay, unable to sleep for many hours thinking that maybe she was making a huge mistake. Many times she got up and picked up her bag preparing to go back home but then she asked herself why. What was there for her? No matter where she was she'd be miserable so why not do it somewhere where she would have no chance of bumping into anyone she didn't want to see.

Finally she collapsed on to the bed in a fit of frustrated and confused tears where she fell into a restless sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Eight.  
****A Familiar Face. **

Morning sunshine peeked through the open curtains waking Hermione early. Stretching her arms above her head slowly to get rid of the stiffness caused by being in the same position for too long and opening her mouth in a huge yawn she got up out of her bed. With a groan she pulled on her jeans and a jumper as she looking at the clock hanging on the wall, it read six o'clock.

"Well I won't be able to sleep now." She muttered to herself with a sigh.

Opening the door and bracing herself against the harsh coldness of the air she stepped outside and began to walk towards the shoreline.

The sand was dark, wet and stuck to the bottom of her shoes with the consistency of mud. Across the other side of the island she could see the dark gloomy prison building and the tall watchtower looming over it. Turning back around she looked back out to sea scanning the horizon searching for any sign of life, but there was nothing there; just mile upon mile of water topped off with grey clouds. There weren't even any birds in the sky, she realised sadly. There was nothing, they were completely alone.

Pulling off her shoes she walked along the shoreline letting the ice-cold water lap at her feet and the sand wedge itself between her toes. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she continued down the beach.

"Oh Merlin, what have I done?" she whined, followed by a huge shuddering sob.

She thought about everyone back in England, feeling sorry for her, talking about her in a concerned voice. Ron would be very worried; of course, because of the way she had been when she had gone to say goodbye. But that wasn't her fault, she had been upset; even if she could understand what Harry had done she couldn't forgive him just yet, even if she did still love him with all her heart. When she saw him her emotions were in conflict, battling inside her, and it made her lash out.

Then there would be Mr and Mrs Weasley and her parents all talking about her, being sympathetic but not really understanding what she going through as they had never experienced it for themselves, so could not know how much she hurt inside. She had read so many books about heart ache, never really believing the term to be literal, but now she knew just how it felt, and how it was with you ever second of every day. If she was feeling alone she should do something about it instead of just feeling sorry for herself.

Later on in the day Alyssia Griffin visited her for and took her on a tour of the island. She walked quickly along the line of houses belonging to the other guards, they were all the same save for things placed in the window ranging from flowers to candles to brightly coloured stickers. Once the residential area had been passed through they went into the area that Hermione most wanted to see – the prison.

"Each prisoner has their own cell, like this one." Alyssia explained, opening an empty cell to show to her. It contained a small, hard wooden bed with a thin blanket covering it, a small sink with a grimy, cracked mirror bolted as well as stuck magically to the wall and the dirtiest toilet Hermione had ever seen.

Slowly they walked down the corridor looking into each of the small barred windows at the prisoners inside. Some starred menacingly back while others were blank faced and emotionless.

"Why are they like that?" Hermione asked with curiosity.

"For hundreds of years the Dementors guarded these cells although they aren't here anymore traces of the essence still remain. It's only weak though so the stronger ones or the ones that haven't been here long don't really feel it enough for it to affect them. The weaker ones however it will still affect, or the ones that were here while the Dementors still were may never recover."

Hermione quickly followed Alyssia, eager to stay close to her as if she thought that that would guard her from any terrors or bad things that might happen.

As they neared the end of the cellblock Hermione stopped dead in her tracks, gawping through the bars at the boy she used to know. His once neat hair was now long and shaggy, he no longer wore glasses and his face was grey and worn.

"Percy!" She whispered.

She had, of course, been trying to prepare herself for the moment when she would come face to face with Ron's brother but it was no good, she could not possibly begin to comprehend the emotions that were running through her head. He did not speak, but his eyes widened momentarily in the shock of seeing her so Hermione knew that he recognised her.

"Do you know him?" Alyssia asked walking over to Hermione's side to look into the cell.

"I used to." Hermione said softly, "He's the brother of my friend."

"Oh yes, of course Ron Weasly, his sister's the one that Harry Potter left you for right?"

"Yes" Hermione answered quietly not wanting to go into the subject.

Before she walked away she turned and looked back into the cell and said, "Your family told me to tell you they love you Percy."

She was too far down the corridor to hear the snort of disgust of the crack of his fingers breaking as he punched the wall.

"Family?" He yelled after her, his voice echoing off the walls "Who needs them? They get you no where, you're better off without them!"

He sunk back down onto his bed with a loud sigh; it had been many months since he had thought of his 'low-life dirt poor' family. He tried to avoid thinking of them if he could help it - it only enraged him. And now here was Hermione who would serve as a constant reminder.

"The weekly rota is sent to each guard by owl on Sunday, usually mid-afternoon. Each guard has one full day off a week and will take it in turns to do a week of nightshifts. You'll be starting on Monday, we'll put you with an experienced guard who will talk you through things." Alyssia explained to her as they walked away from the prison, Hermione was glad to be out in the sun again. "I'll get someone to drop off the uniform later on today."

"Uniform?" Hermione stopped in her tracks, that was something that had slipped her mind, what she would have to wear while working. "Oh great!" She said with false cheeriness.

It was only twenty minutes later when she heard a tapping at the door. Hermione climbed over all the boxes still waiting to be unpacked and opened the front door to find a package on the step and an owl flapping away over the island. Bending down to pick up the parcel she began tearing away the brown paper to uncover the pale grey material of her uniform.

She held up the loose fitting shirt and tailored trousers, next there was a jacket that reached to about mid-thigh and a cap to keep her hair from her face. It all looked very drab, she decided as she looked over it all. Gathering up all the clothes she walked into her bedroom to try it all on. She stood in front of the mirror turning this way and that to try to get a full view of herself.

"Great I look like a huge grey blob!" She sighed as she began to take it off and hang it up in the wardrobe. "As if I didn't look bad enough in the first place."

A few days later she found she had nothing to do so she pulled on a pair of black tracksuit bottoms and a baggy t-shirt. Jamming her feet into an old black pair of flip-flops she grabbed her wand and began to walk down to the beach. As a child she had always loved the seaside and every year throughout her childhood – or at least until she started Hogwarts – her family had gone on holiday there. Completely drawn to the sea, she had loved swimming in it no matter how cold or choppy and as a result she found that she could sit for hours looking out at the sparkling, always moving ever changing water. It had a calming effect on her being able to watch the reliable, constant waves and breathing in the salty sea air.

"Well, well if this doesn't quite spoil the view." A loud haughty voice cut into her thoughts.

Hermione looked up at the person who was being so rude to invade her private moment with his poor insults and was shocked to see who she was staring up at.

"Escaped from one of the cells have we?" She shot back, one eyebrow arched in defiance.

His pale cheeks flushed red with anger and his steely blue-grey eyes sparked with fury. He pushed his white-blond hair from his eyes although the wind blew it straight back again and said "Sure you want to start an argument Granger? Your two wonder boys aren't here to protect you this time. Do you really think that you can handle me on your own?"

"Still as cocky as ever I see Malfoy." She shot back, "Now what in Merlin's name are you doing here?"

"Earning a living. Duh!" he sighed and shook his head, "Really I thought even with your inferior brain you would have been able to work that one out. I guess the coma must have damaged you. So why are you insulting us with your presence?"

"I work here to." She said as she realised that she would be seeing a lot of the person she had despised all through Hogwarts.

"Well that's completely ruined the rest of my working life."

"Yeah, I know the feeling!" Hermione snapped in response.

"I'm sure you moping about will bring the prisoners down more than the Dementors ever did."

"I am not moping!" She answered indignantly.

"Sure you're not," He replied sarcastically, "You're just sat here looking like you've just been told everyone you know has been Avada'd because you're so happy, yeah that makes sense."

"How the hell would you know how I'm feeling?" She hissed.

"The real question is why the hell would I want to?" he flashed her one of his trademark smirks.

"Just leave me alone Malfoy. I'm not in the mood to put up with you right now."

"Gladly, I'm due to start my shift soon anyway. Hopefully I won't see you around soon."

He picked up a stone as he walked away and tossed it into the ocean causing a small splash and ripples to spread out before being swallowed by a wave.

Hermione hugged her knees to her chest. Was Malfoy right? Did she look that depressed? Probably, she decided, it wasn't as if she had made any effort to get to know anyone in the time she had been there. It had been almost a week now and she had spent all her time either in her cabin or on the beach. The only person she had spoken to was Alyssia, and now Malfoy, she hadn't even written to her friends or family back home in England. As she made her way back to her cabin she passed a group of people, she kept her head down so she didn't have to talk to any of them, not realising that she'd even done it until afterwards.

"I'll go out and meet people tomorrow," She told herself firmly as she locked her cabin door behind her, "Once I start to get into the swing of things."


	9. Chapter 9

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality**

**Chapter Nine.  
****Swallowing Pride**

Hermione's first shift was on a Tuesday afternoon, thankfully not with Draco Malfoy as she had been dreading. The person she was with was called Ian Hardy, a man in his late twenties. He seemed like a friendly person and was happy to answer any questions she had about the job.

Upon finishing and returning to her cabin she felt a lift in her spirits, the shift had gone smoothly and she felt a lot more confident about the job. She wrote happy letters to the people back in England, telling them that she was getting along fine.

For two months Hermione managed to avoid having a shift with Malfoy, which she was very glad about. But when the next weeks schedule arrived on Sunday afternoon she found that she was to spend every night that week with him.

With a frustrated growl she stomped into the kitchen to put on the coffee pot, she would have to stay up all that night so she would be able to sleep in the day. At five in the morning, just as she was about to nod off in her armchair she got up and walked down to the shared gardens where there was a small square in the middle of it with benches edging it looking out to the colourful flowers. The sun was just rising, casting everything into a pale white glow. Everything was silent save for the sound of Hermione's shoes walking over to one of the benches before she sat down. She sat perfectly still every now and then letting out a small sigh.

"Still moping I see Granger."

"Still no awareness of privacy I see Malfoy." She was tired and in a bad mood, in no mind set to put up with Malfoy's infuriating attitude.

"What's the matter? Just been told that you got E's instead of O's in your N.E.W.Ts?" He chided.

"Oh shut up Malfoy." She snapped.

"Oh! That was an amazing argument there, swayed me completely." Came his sarcastic reply.

"Fine if you won't leave I will." She pushed herself up off the bench and began to walk away. To her great relief Malfoy didn't follow her.

It being only six a.m. when she got back to her cabin she picked up a book and became engrossed in the plot until all awareness of time left her mind. Only when her eyes began to ache and her mind became too tired to be able to string together the sentences she was reading did she put down the book. It was nine o'clock in the morning, her shift was to start in twelve hours and not finish until five.

She got out of bed at half seven in the evening, dusk just setting in, giving her an hour and a half to get ready and walk across the island to the watchtower. She felt a little brighter as she had had a good night's - or day's rather - sleep, the only thing to dampen her mood was the fact that she would be spending the next eight hours with Malfoy.

"I can do this," She assured herself as she pulled on her uniform, "And if it gets too much I can always push him off the tower, I'm sure no one would mind too much."

With that prospect in her mind she carried on getting ready and began the walk down the path leading to the prison, a smile on her face as she pictured the many different ways she could kill Malfoy. She was a little early so she sat and chatted to the guards who were waiting to come off their shifts until Malfoy came. Finally, half and hour late, he arrived so the grumbling guards could go back to their cabins for the night.

"Better late than never Malfoy," She sighed and then stopped, "Actually that's a lie in your case it's always better never."

"Oh very funny Granger." He retorted giving a fake laugh.

"How about we just don't talk Malfoy? It would be better for everyone."

"Only smart thing you've ever said." He said as he took a seat at one side of the tower and Hermione took the other side.

For eight excruciatingly long hours they sat in total and complete silence until five o'clock rolled around and they could go back to their cabins. In Hermione's point of view it was sheer torture, she was used to being around people in conversation most of the time and couldn't spend hours without talking unless she was absorbed in a good book, even if the only person to talk to was Draco Malfoy.

As she took off her uniform and pulled on normal clothes she sighed, she wouldn't be able to do this for another six nights.

Near the end of night four of what Hermione had dubbed 'Torture Week' Draco was also getting bored of the silence, so he started a conversation the only way he knew how.

"I bet you're loving this place, fit in nicely with all the gloom and depression."

"Shut up Malfoy."

"Again with a great comeback, top notch Granger."

"Shut up Malfoy!"

"Jeeze, I can see why Potter ditched you, boredom. He must have found out what a crappy conversationalist you really are."

"You don't know anything about it Malfoy." Her voice rose so it drowned out what he was saying.

"I bet you were more interesting in the coma!" He laughed, "At least then you wouldn't be spouting off lines from big old boring books that no one else in their right mind would read and correcting what they were saying."

"Well at least I'm not a murderer!" She yelled; the only comeback she could think of in the moment.

He froze, his body stiffened and through gritted teeth he growled, "I did not kill him."

Turning swiftly around his figure was ridged, he refused to look at her, he couldn't the guilt, the shame, that filled him overwhelmed him too much. He hadn't killed Dumbledore that was the truth, but he did know that he played a large role in the events leading to his death and therefore should take a large amount of the blame. From that point onward he did not speak, he just sat with his back to her until, at five o'clock in the morning, the next guards on duty arrived and he sped off without a word to anyone. Hermione stayed a while longer to talk to the others so she would have no chance of bumping into him on the way back and have to make the apology she knew she owed him. She hadn't meant what she had said, she knew he wasn't a murderer but it was the one thing she had been sure would shut him up and he had said hurtful things too and she hadn't been able to stand the look of smugness that had been on his face at the time.

Draco stomped his way home, kicking every pebble or stone he came across as a way to express some of the anger that was bubbling inside him. Most flew off the track and hit the sides of the cabins but he didn't care if he woke the people inside, in fact he was too wrapped up in his own memories to even notice. He was thinking of the eventful night when Snape had killed Dumbledore and what his reception had been like when he returned home. His parents had been scornful, rage filling up their eyes as they glared at him. After a large amount of pleading his mother had been convinced to try to persuade Voldemort to spare her son's life. But from that point on he had been lower than a slave in the eyes of all the other Deatheater's, he would be made to do the tasks that no one else wanted to.

It was just a month before the war began that Draco decided that he had had enough of being scared and went to see the Order of the Pheonix. He remembered the conversation he had had with Dumbledore before Snape had killed him. Of course he remembered it; the words practically haunted him.

_"Come over to the right side Draco…"_ The voice echoed in his head always with him, constantly reminding him that he had a choice of what to do with his life.

It was hard to convince McGonagall, whom had taken over the Order, but he had been thankful it wasn't Harry – he was too busy finding the last of Voldemort's Horcruxes. Draco was questioned under powerful truth potions about his motives for wanting to join the Order – he had expected that, what with everything that had happened with Snape they couldn't be too careful – and finally he was deemed safe and they believed that he was telling the truth. So when the battle commenced he was out on the battlefield – but he was in crimson robes, not black.

That was five years ago, and it had been a rude awakening for Draco's life, the way he thought and the way he acted. Many people in the Order did not tolerate his attitude and started fights with him, enough times for him to act civil when it was needed, which was most of the time. But on the island, where he had been for almost three years, he found that he could seclude himself and not have a conversation with anyone he didn't want to unless it was entirely necessary. This was why he had only one friend out of all the guards. He had applied for the job purely because of his family's many links, his parents may have been killed in the battle but his betrayal was widely known. For two years he dodged many attempts at being killed by deatheaters that were not yet caught.

He began to think back to the battle as he let himself into his cabin, pulled off his uniform and climbed into bed, and back to when his parents were killed right in front of him. They had found him aiding injured Order members and had turned their wands on him. When he had found himself unable to defend himself – how could he kill his own parents? – someone else had stepped in and done the task for him.

The memory haunted him while he slept, the image replaying itself again and again. He might no have had any sort of relationship with his parents but seeing their deaths affected him more than he could never even begin to comprehend.

The next night Hermione made the first move. She swallowed down her pride and made the apology that she knew she had to give even though she really didn't want to.

"Look Malfoy I'm sorry about what I said, it was out of line, but a lot of what you said was as well."

"It's alright Granger," He shrugged, "And my thoughts about Potter were right, he is a complete idiot for leaving you."

Hermione smiled at this comment, it was the first time that Malfoy had ever said anything nice to her. Of course the moment was ruined what he added,

"Even you're better than that Weasley girl, and that's saying something!"

With that comment her smile turned back into a snarl and they passed the rest of the night in an electric furious silence.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality**

**Chapter Ten.  
****Braking Point. **

Once routine had been reacquainted into her life Hermione found that time passed very quickly. She spent her days, and some nights, working and her free time was spent with the friends she had made on the island. Herself and Malfoy had been as distanced as possible, snide comments were passed from time to time but all in all their relationship was as it had been in school, putting up with each other when they had to and pretending that the other didn't exist the rest of the time. Before Hermione even realised it a whole year had passed. She was finally happy again, or as happy as she could be upon the island of Azkaban, she had even been on a few dates with one of the other guards, nothing had come of it but she glad that she was ready to put herself out there again.

But as things seemed to be looking up for Hermione on the other side of the plant Harry and Ginny were facing serious problems.

"Happy one year anniversary!" Ron exclaimed as he greeted Harry and Ginny as they walked through the door into his home.

"Thanks Ron." Ginny smiled and lent down to kiss her brother on the cheek.

The three of them entered the living room and sat down making polite small talk.

"So have you heard from Hermione lately?" Harry a little while later as Ginny got up to make them all drinks.

She sighed and rolled her eyes as she returned a few minutes later placing his cup down on the table a little harder than was needed, she was sick of Hermione's name coming up in conversations that Harry had. It was the only topic he ever seemed to be interested in.

"Yeah, I got a letter from her just yesterday." Ron told them, "She's fine, she made a few friends with the guards and she seems to be enjoying herself."

"Hermione moved away purely so she wouldn't see you anymore Harry I think that alone would probably prove that she wouldn't want Ron tell you everything that is going on in her life." Ginny snapped.

"What is your problem?" Harry demanded, turning to face her.

Ginny didn't make any response to her husband's question; in fact she ignored him completely and turned instead to her brother.

"You know what, Ron it was really kind of you to have us over but I have to go." She said and disapperated before either of the men could reply.

"Oh for goodness sake!" Harry exclaimed and followed her.

She was in the bedroom pulling on a tight pair of jeans to go with the green top with an extremely low plunging neckline she had put on.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting ready to go out." She replied shortly.

"Out where?" He asked.

"Janet from work and a few others were going out to a club, they asked me if wanted to go but I said no, I'm going to see if I can go and find them."

"But it's our anniversary!"

"Oh so you did remember! I thought you'd be too busy thinking about Hermione as usual." With one last furious tug the jeans came up to her waist and she quickly did them up before waling from the room.

"What on earth are you talking about?" he asked following her.

"All the time it's 'remember when Hermione did this' or 'Hermione used to say that' she's been gone a year but you still can't stop thinking about her."

"Ginny you're being ridiculous." Harry said in a soothing voice, which, of course, didn't help in the slightest, he moved in front of her, blocking her way and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"No Harry I'm being honest. You look at me and all you think about is how I'm not her. Do you have any idea how much that hurts?" she pushed his hands away and stared down at the floor, she didn't want to look him in the eye, she was already battling to stop the tears welling up.

She barged past him, ramming her shoulder into his chest to move him out the way of the door; she slammed it so hard behind her that the glass plates inside rattled and one smashed into pieces. With a sigh Harry repaired the pane with his wand and collapsed down onto the sofa.

Ginny didn't return until early the next morning, she walked into the kitchen to find Harry, drowsy eyed sat at the table, head resting in his hands.

"Where in Merlin's name have you been?" He demanded as soon as he saw her.

"I stayed at Janet's." Ginny shrugged. She then opened her mouth ready to say something else but Harry began speaking before she got the chance, he had thought that as soon as he had seen her he would have blown his top, but he was too tired for an argument, after waiting up most of the night for his wife to return all he wanted was to go to bed.

"Gin, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to ever make you feel like that I swear. And what you said isn't true because whenever I look at you all I can think about is how much I love you."

Ginny smiled and walked over to kiss him.

"I love you and you only, the only reason I ask about Hermione is because she is, or was, my friend and I worry about her."

"Really?"

"Yes really. Now no more arguments ok?" Harry asked her, thinking of the many arguments they had had since returning from their honeymoon - it was at least one per day. He resolved that he would try harder to not start any fights for as long as he could.

"No more arguments." Ginny agreed.

"Let me take you out to dinner tonight to make up for yesterday, it was pretty rubbish as anniversaries go wasn't it?"

"You know what?" Ginny said as she walked slowly towards him, grabbing the front of his t-shirt and lifting it up over his head, "I think I'd rather stay in."

She let out a giggle as she grabbed hold of his hands and led him into the hallway, up the stairs and into the bedroom.

The promise of no more arguments lasted all of three hours when Ginny decided that she was going to go and visit Janet again.

"You saw her last night and you've done practically nothing since!" Harry said, wincing when he realised that them sleeping together now fell under the category of 'practically nothing' to him, "What are you going to talk about?"

It always amazed him how women could do that, they would talk for hours on end one evening, arrange to meet up the very next day and still have hours worth of conversation to get through.

Ginny didn't dignify his question with an answer, she just tutted and carried on apply the lipstick she had been rooting around in the draw to find for a full five minutes.

"So what are you going to do today?" She asked as she clicked the lid back onto the tube, rubbed her lips together and grabbed a tissue to blot away the excess.

"I don't know, I guess I'll go into work." He shrugged and went to the wardrobe to search for one of the pairs of work robes that he knew were hanging in there somewhere.

"You should, they'll forget what you look like if not. You haven't been in for at least two weeks."

"Well I don't have to go in unless there's a problem, I can just send in my instructions by owl most of the time what's the point of being there if I don't need to be." He said as he finally found a pair and pulled them over his head.

"It'll do you good to get out for a while, stop you moping around the house all day."

"I have not been moping." He snapped; he hated it when people told him how he'd been acting. It was a stupid thing for people to do, like if someone told him to stop being angry he would instantly get even more furious.

"Yes you have, all you do is sit around and look miserable," Ginny told him, "You've been upset about something all week."

It seemed to Harry that Ginny was increasingly telling him how he'd been feeling over the past few months it was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Will you stop telling me how I'm feeling every second of the day," He yelled, temper finally snapping, "I'm sick of it!"

"Oh yeah? Well at the moment I'm sick of you!" Ginny shrieked as she stormed out of the room.

"Good Morning Mr Potter, we weren't expecting you in today." Mary said as she jumped up from her chair as he entered the department. She followed him through the open plan room where the desks of his workers were; his office was a small room leading off from theirs. Mary was the receptionist, she answered all the letters and filed documents and the like and Harry was very glad she was there else none of it would ever get done but he just wished that she wasn't always in such a good mood - especially since he was usually in a bad one.

"Good morning Mary, any new mail?" The same line he uttered every time he came into the office, and it was always met with the same reply.

"It's in the in box on your desk sir."

He nodded, walked into the office and sunk down into his chair to sort through the mail that had accumulated throughout the time since it had last been forwarded to his house. Most of it was rubbish but one was from another department requesting a document that would assist them in an investigation they were carrying out. Inevitably it was one that Harry knew to be in his desk at home. He grabbed the pot of Floo powder and threw a pinch into the flames in the fireplace so he could return to the house to go and get it.

By the time Janet had arrived Ginny was too worked up to want to go out anywhere so Janet took charge of the situation, sitting her friend down and making them both a drink before joining her.

"So are you going to tell me what's wrong?" She asked pushing her short black hair out of her face.

"It's all wrong!" Ginny wailed, "We were happy and it was obvious that he loved me too. I was so happy in fifth year when Harry and I got together, then when the three of them came back home a year later, when Hermione and Ron were broken up, he chose her instead and I died inside, I really did!"

Her words were interrupted by a chocked sob working its way up from her throat; after a few shuddering breathes she was able to continue.

"So when we got back together I was so happy, Harry and I were meant to be together, and everything was perfect until she woke up and then everything went wrong, even when she went away again it was different; Harry still feels guilty. When I look at him, when he doesn't know it, I can tell he's thinking about her, his eyes cloud over. I'll never be able to live up to her, no matter what I do he'll never feel the same way about me."

"You don't know that Gin."

"But it's so bloody obvious! And what makes it worse is that I deserve it."

"No you don't, don't be silly, you've done nothing wrong." Janet protested.

"Yes I have Jan, I cheated on him. I slept with someone else. Twice." She admitted, eyes down cast with shame.

"What? With who? When?"

"Remember I told you about Dean Thomas, an ex-boyfriend from Hogwarts? Well I bumped into him about a month before the wedding and then again when I left the club last night."

"You slept with him a month before you married Harry? I bet if he'd of known that he'd have never gone through with the wedding!"

"Yeah, well you bet right." Harry was stood in the doorway, the file he had come to pick up still clutched in his hand. He threw a look of sheer contempt at Ginny before walking away, slamming the door as he went.

The blood drained from Ginny's face as she realised what had happened. She said nothing, just sat perfectly silent for a moment. Then, like pulling a cork from a bottle the tears flowed out of her.

The moon was high in the sky, the sun long set, by the time Harry returned to the house. Ginny was still sat in the living room, stiff back, blank face, waiting for him.

"Where have you been?" She asked, her voice shaking and her tone high-pitched.

"Work, I told you." He answered, his tone filled with annoyance.

"Harry I'm so sorry! I didn't -"

"Mean to do it? He was just there?" He interrupted, finishing her sentence for her.

She didn't continue, she couldn't a large lump had risen and wedged itself in her throat making it hard to speak.

"How could you do this to me Ginny? To us?" He thundered, anger taking over.

"I'm sorry! I am so sorry." She wailed, "It was a mistake."

"Yeah so much of one you made it twice."

"I was angry. I wanted to hurt you, but I never wanted you to find out."

"Then you shouldn't have done it should you."

He stood up, stomped up the stairs into the bedroom and flung open the wardrobe pulling clothes and other possessions into a case.

"What are you doing? Stop! Stop it! Where are you going?"

"I'll spend the night at Grimmauld Place, then I'll be back in the morning and we can sort things out." He told her as he closed the case and walked into the hallway.

"Sort what out?" Ginny asked, her voice rising in panic as she followed him, "What's to sort out?"

"Just things, we'll talk about it tomorrow."

"Why not now?"

"Because right now I can't even stand to look at you."

He didn't wait for her to reply he simply walked out of the door leaving his distressed wife to think about how stupid she had been.

Harry returned just before noon the following day, his tone was cold and he was no more than civil towards her.

"You hurt me Ginny, I won't get over it so I think it would be best if we divorced, you can keep the house and everything. I'll just take my things and move into Grimmauld Place."

"But you hate it there."

"I like it a great deal more than I do here right now."

"Harry think about this, can we work it out? We could go to counselling or something."

"No Ginny we can't. I will never be able to trust you again and without trust we have no relationship. I'll contact a divorce attorney and see how quickly we can do this. If you comply with the process it'll all be over in a few months, it's much quicker than in the muggle world."

"And if I don't comply?" She questioned defiantly.

"Then you can tell your whole family why we're splitting up." He shrugged as he pulled on his coat.

"What do you mean?"

"Your parents won't be too pleased when they find out what you've done, I was thinking that I'd save you the embarrassment by telling them that we just grew apart. After all you've just started getting closer to them again, I don't suppose you want to ruin that now."

Ginny thought about this for a moment before nodding glumly, at least this way her parents and brothers wouldn't have another thing to hold against her.

"I'll come and pick up the rest of my things in a day or too, I'll send you the information from the lawyers as soon as I can." He told her briskly and walked from the room leaving Ginny to sink into a pit of despair.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Eleven.  
****Rescued. **

"Granger." Draco greeted her with a nod as Hermione walked into the guard tower for their evening shift. It was Thursday, the fourth day she had spent on duty with him, just three days left she reminded herself as she sat down. Although things with Draco had vastly improved since she had arrived on the prison island a year previously, they still didn't get on too well. They still had arguments, of course, but now they were not as frequent and a lot less volatile than they had once been.

"Malfoy." She responded as she took her seat.

He glanced over to her and noticed that her hands were stained with blue ink.

"Still writing to dear old weasel-bee, telling him how awful we all are?" he snorted, shooting her one of his trademark smirks.

"As a matter of fact yes I'm writing to Ron and it's absolutely none of your business what I tell him about."

"Oh I see, so it was a love note!" He chuckled.

"No it was not, Ron and I are just friends."

"Sure," Draco nodded, not believing her for a second, "I always knew that the two of you would end up together."

"Ron and I are not together, we're just friends!" She insisted.

He fell silent for a short while, thinking, before asking, "So how come it was Potter that broke your heart, everyone thought that it would be you and Weasel that hooked up."

"I wasn't aware that you were interested in my personal affairs Malfoy." Hermione questioned, "Why would you care what happened to?"

"I wouldn't." He scowled, "I was just making conversation."

He spun back around on his seat so his back was to her and rested his elbows on the edge of the windowsill. It was several minutes before either of them spoke again.

"Ron and I were together for a while, but we argued even more than we did when we were just friends so we decided that it would be better for everyone if we were apart."

Draco didn't respond straight away and Hermione allowed a small smile to cross her face, they had finally made a break through in their relationship, but like always Malfoy opened him mouth and ruined the moment.

"That may be the corniest thing that I've ever had the misfortune to hear."

"Well then don't ask." She snapped, sighing.

She then added, "And it isn't corny; it's love, surely you've been in love before?"

He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. Hermione stared at him with a mixture of shock and pity.

"You've never been in love? Ever?"

"Nope, never even said the L-Word to anyone in my life."

"Never? Not even to your parents?"

"My Parents? Not a chance!" He snorted.

"Don't you think that's really sad?"

"Not really." He shrugged again.

"You're twenty-six years old and you've never been in love!" She exclaimed. "That's weird!"

"No it's not, that's just the way of life. Love is an awful emotion, all it does it get in the way and screw people up. Why would anyone want that?"

"No! Love isn't like that at all. Love is a wonderful thing!"

"You loved Potter and look where that got you, on an island with a bunch of guards with a whole manner of problems and a prison full of criminals."

"It doesn't always end up like that, most people are happy."

"No they're not Granger, don't be so naïve. Think all the people here every single one of them are any of them happy? No of course they're not!" He yelled wishing that she would just shut up and stop looking at him like he was a freak of nature, "Could we just drop it now?"

With a roll of her eyes she spun back around and surveyed the ground surrounding the area. She longed to ask him about it, why was _he _unhappy, but she knew that he would just make some snide remark and she'd end up regretting it.

As usual their departure from the tower was rushed, although they may not have been arguing they both felt uncomfortable in the other's presence. And as usual Hermione sat alone in her cabin, lent against the windowsill watching the sunrise. She couldn't get Draco and the thought that he had never been in love out of her head, she felt sorry for him, it wasn't an emotion she was particularly used t associating with him, it unsettled her a little. With a sigh she got up and grabbed her jacket, she needed to clear her head and the best way she could do that was to go for a walk.

The sun was casting a pale, pinkish glow to her surroundings and the air was still cold with the chill that night brought about. It cast a different mood about the place, in daylight, yellow, brighter, the beach was a place where the guards went to have a good time but in the early morning the whole mood was completely different, calmer, more serene. A sense of peace filled her as she stood facing the high waves, eyes closed, arms wrapped around her body as a way to warm them, breathing in the salty air. All thoughts left her and she was alone with the sound of the waves.

Draco was pacing his living room in frustration; he was usually good at keeping things at the back of his mind but once they were brought up they would haunt him for days. His current thoughts were of his past relationships, thanks to that damn woman, he'd had countless – yet had felt nothing but the slight flicker of attraction for any of them. He had never really thought in any depth about it, having no close friends to discuss relationships or girls with it had never really come up. But now he was analysing every conversation – not that many – and every night – a far greater number – he had had with a female. It was not making him any happier, in all he had been cold and distant, showing just enough emotion to get what he wanted. As he continued to think he grew more and more frustrated, angry at Hermione for bringing up the subject and annoyed with himself for being that way. He grabbed his wand and jammed it into his pocket as he walked out the door.

Turning left he walked along the path to a small brick building and opened the door. Inside brooms belonging to the guards were all attached to the walls, he walked over to his broom and inserted his wand into the lock, a keypad appeared in mid air and he keyed in the relevant digits. The lock came undone and he took down his _LightningStrike3000_.

The wind rushed through his blond hair as he kicked off from the ground and soared through the sky. Several feet above the height of the watchtower he stopped and closed his eyes. It was perfectly silent, perfectly still, the lights from the cabins were just distant dots and the conversations were inaudible.

He opened his eyes and scanned the small island, his gaze resting on the beach and the figure stood by the shoreline. Not knowing who it was he began to fly closer to find out, he stopped again when out of the corner of his eye he saw another figure moving along the beach a short distance away. He watched as the new figure walked over to the other and hugged, Draco again began to get annoyed as they embraced, he couldn't even go flying without seeing romance. He gave a snort of disgust he began to turn away. It was too late when he heard the scream and realized what was really going on down on the sand. In a flash he was pelting towards the shoreline, willing the broom to go faster and cursing the sudden wind that was blowing against him.

Hermione watched as the waves lapped at her feet, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her, didn't even know that there was anyone else there until she felt the arms around her waist. Letting out a gasp of surprise she tried to turn her head but found that a hand was tightly gripping her hair at the back of her head making her unable to move. An arm was across her body, from shoulder to waist pinning her to her captor's body.

"Get off me!" She yelled and tried to wriggle out of the person's grasp, to no avail. The hand that had been on her hipbone moved down and into the pocket of her trousers where she kept her wand. Hermione tried to make a grab at it but her attacker kicked back of her legs, her knees buckled and she was on the ground. As she turned over to see who the person who attacked her was a foot made contact with her ribs, she winced in pain and looked up.

"Percy?" She gasped at Ron's elder brother.

He looked down at her, his expression one of pure disgust, her wand gripped in his hand and aimed directly at her head.

"Percy, no please!" She begged.

His jaw stiffened and his grip on the wand tightened.

"It's your fault that I'm stuck in here, you and that stupid Potter. If it wasn't for you my Lord would still be alive and I'd be happily serving him. _Crucio._" he hissed and watched as Hermione convulsed in pain.

"Hey!" Draco yelled as he jumped off his broom and tore down the beach, pulling out his wand as he did "_Expelliarmus_"

Hermione's wand was pulled out of Percy's hand magically and hurtled along the beach, lodging itself into a heap of sand. As the spell was released and Hermione fell still.

Draco threw himself at Percy and wrestled him to the ground; Hermione watched them as she began to shake violently. Gripping hold of his wand Draco leapt up and put Percy in a full body-bind. He then sent red sparks into the air and waited for a few seconds before three more guards appeared by his side.

"What happened?"

"Prisoner escaped, stole a wand and attacked a guard."

The three guards picked Percy up and carrying him between them set off to return his to the cell. Draco found himself alone with Hermione, who was still lain on her back shaking slightly. He retrieved her wand and walked over to her.

"You ok?" He asked as he crouched down beside her.

First she nodded, then stopped, changing her mind and shook her head.

"Can you get up? Think you'll be able to walk?"

Again she shook her head; she was finding it hard to move anything below her neck. He sighed and grabbed one of her arms putting it around his neck and scooping her up in his arms, he stood up and began to carry her.

"Sometimes it takes your motor skills a while to come back after you've been under the effects of an Unforgivable, that is if you do actually come back from an unforgivable. Especially if your body isn't used to being under a large quantity of magic." He said as a way to reassure her as he walked towards her cabin.

By the time they had got to her door Hermione had got back enough of her movement to be able to unlock her door while Draco held her. Once inside he carried her to her bedroom and lay her down on the bed.

"Feeling a little better?" Draco asked as he walked back into the room with two mugs of hot, sweet, tea that he set down on the bedside cabinet.

"A little bit. Thanks." She croaked, giving him a small smile.

"Good, can you move your legs yet?"

They both looked down to watch as she wiggled her toes, they both smiled at each other and Draco sat down on the edge of the bed.

"They still feel a little stiff though." She sighed.

"Here." He sat at the end of the bed, pulled her feet onto his lap and started to massage them.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"It helps to get the blood flowing around your feet again."

As he moved his thumbs in circles over her souls she began to giggle. He stopped and looked up at her with an amused expression.

"What?" He asked.

"I'm just really ticklish." She said through her laughs.

He moved his hands away, not taking his eyes off her and when she got over her giggling she looked back at him, still smiling while she caught her breath.

"Look Malfoy, I'm sorry for what I said while we were on duty." She said seriously.

"Forget about it Granger. You're probably right about me being screwed up." He grinned.

"I never said that!" She argued.

"You may as well have." He shrugged, pretending to be upset.

She grabbed the pillow from behind her and whacked him with it, laughing. "Don't put words into my mouth!"

For a few seconds they were silent until Hermione spoke. "Look Malfoy, I think we should call a truce, we should try to get along. You must have stopped hating me at some point or you wouldn't have saved me. The Draco Malfoy I knew from school would have just sat and watched."

"Yeah, well we've all changed since Hogwarts."

"I know, which is why I think we should call a truce." She stuck out her hand, hoping that Draco would take it; she was tired of all the arguments, they were giving her a headache. For a few seconds he simply stared at her, then with a small nod he shook her hand. They smiled at each other.

"Do you still miss him?" He asked a little while later that evening. They were still sat in Hermione's bedroom upon the bed, both leaning against the wall legs tucked up under them.

A small frown crossed her face as she gave it serious thought, "A little I suppose. Not as much as I did of course, I'm used to being without him now but I still wish that he were here sometimes. But only in my moments of weakness."

"So do you still love him?"

"I think so; it's not the type of thing that just goes away. I think I'll always love him a little even if I am furious with him, but I'm at a place where I can on with my life now."

"That makes absolutely no sense." Draco shook his head, frowning as he tried to understand.

"It's hard to explain, you really have to feel it. To love someone completely is wonderful and then if they leave you, you're so angry with them for making you feel that way, so the emotions get mixed together until you're not sure what your feeling anymore." She tried to explain, "Some days I wish he was right here and I'll just forget all about it, but other times I just want to curse him."

She let out a huge long yawn.

"You should sleep; get over the shock of what happened for definite. I'll wash these up for you and then go." He said, picking up the two mugs and leaving the room.

He walked along the hall and into the kitchen to wash the cups and all the other things that were in the sink. He was glad that he and Hermione had decided to try not to fight, it was odd, he thought, but her words seemed to affect him. When they argued he would think about everything she had said for weeks and weeks.

He exited the kitchen as was passing her bedroom door when she called out.

"Malfoy?" her voice was soft, a hint of fear still mixed in.

He pushed open the door, letting in a block of light that crossed the room and fell upon the bed, illuminating her face. "I can't sleep will you sit with me for a while?"

He nodded and pulled a chair up to the edge of her bed. She snuggled down under the blankets and closed her eyes. Pointing his wand at the blind he softly whispered a spell and they snapped shut, it was only a few minutes before she fell asleep. A look of peace settled upon her face. Draco looked down at her and couldn't help but smile, she looked so angelic, he reached out his hand and softly pushed away a stand of hair that fell across her forehead. Resting his hand on the side of her face for several seconds he drank in the image wanting to savour it before getting up and silently exiting the house.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Twelve. **

**Snapped.**

"So did you hear about Potter and the Weaselette?" The voice came from behind her, causing her to jump and spin around very startled. Ever since the incident on the beach Hermione had been slightly jumpy. Letting out a sigh of relief as her eyes came to rest on Draco she grinned and turned back around to continue hanging out her washing.

He moved into her garden to stand beside her picking up the bag of pegs and handing them to her when she needed them.

"So?" He prompted when she made no response.

"Yes I heard, of course I heard it's plastered in every Wizarding newspaper in the country. You can't be as famous as Harry and not have everyone knowing your business." She shrugged, trying to be nonchalant.

"And? How do you feel about it?" He questioned. The news had shocked him when he had read it, he hadn't thought that perfect Potter could ever have a marriage that would end in divorce. It just didn't sit well with his Wonder-boy image.

His next thought had been of course of Hermione and how she would react to the news. It shocked him that he was so concerned about her, but it was true, he was worried that this piece of news would cause her to change her feelings about Harry, just when it seemed that she was completely over him. Which was why as soon as he had placed the article back down he was over to her house in a flash to check up on her.

"How do I feel?" She breathed out heavily, mulling over the question. "A little shocked I suppose, and sadly I think there may be a little happiness mixed in there." She shrugged again, "I don't know. How are you supposed to feel in a situation like this? It's not something that happens every day now is it?"

"No I suppose it isn't." He nodded, handing her another peg to secure the white sheet onto the line. "Are you going to contact him?"

"I don't think I should, it's probably not the best idea. In fact you're not allowed to let me." She said firmly.

He smiled, "Alright then, if need be I shall chain you down and shoot all the owls out of they sky."

Laughing she turned to him, dropping the piece of washing that had been in her hand back into the basket by her feet. "Thank you Draco. You've really helped me over the past few weeks. I don't know what I would have done without you."

"Oh come on Granger don't go all soppy on me now." He said, flushing slightly.

"I mean it, if it wasn't for you I'd probably be dead." She said solemnly, "And that's really hard to say seeing as how much I hated you when we went to school."

Draco, feeling a little uncomfortable having to talk about feelings, quickly changed the subject, "I hear Percy's been put into solitary confinement."

"Yeah, he's in there for a month and then he's being put into the high security cell." She gave a weak smile, "He's not going to be getting out again any time soon. Plus I've been given the week off to make sure I'm ok."

"Oh really? I've got tomorrow off." He said and then opened his mouth as though he was going to say more but closed it again.

"I better get going." He said quickly and handed her the bag of pegs, "See you around."

He got as far as the gate before Hermione called out to him, "Hey, I was thinking of going Diagon Alley tomorrow to get a few things how about you join me?"

"Oh I don't know." He hesitated, a slight flush spreading across his cheeks. "I've got a few things I was thinking about doing."

"Oh come on," She grinned, "When was the last time you went back to England? I'll even buy you lunch, it's the least I can do seeing as how you saved my life."

Allowing himself a small smile he nodded.

"Great, meet me here at ten and we'll get going."

So the next morning after wrapping up against the chill winter brought Hermione and Draco took a Portkey into London. Eyes lighting up as they entered Diagon Alley Hermione rushed from window to window peering into each shop with childish glee. It wasn't long before the effect rubbed off on Draco and he found himself laughing too. Hermione stopped and looked at him with an amused expression on her face.

"What?" he stopped and rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously.

"Nothing." She smiled, "It's just I don't see you smile very often. Now come on I was to go and get a few new books."

"What a shock, Granger wants a book." He teased, but for once he wasn't doing it spitefully.

The day passed quickly and soon they were both weighed down with bags. Walking past a jewellery shop Hermione stopped, it took Draco a few seconds to realise that she was no longer beside him and turn and find her.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"That necklace." She said quietly, pointing to the one displayed in the window, a long silver chain with a small sapphire butterfly hanging from it, every now and then the wings would flap lazily. "It's just like the one I was wearing when we went with Harry and Ron to hunt down Voldemort, I lost it in a battle one day."

Then looking at the price tag she winced and shook her head, "Never mind it's not important." And walked away.

Draco stood still for a moment, looking at the necklace before sighing and following her.

"Let's go and get something to eat." Hermione suggested, grabbing his hand and pulling him after her. They didn't notice the flash of the camera from behind them as they continued to walk. Nor did they notice when they were sat in the café, stealing food from each other's plates or when they were exiting the building and for just a few seconds Draco's hand rested on the small of Hermione's back to guide her out of the door.

It wasn't until the next day when the pictures were printed in the Quibbler along with an article suggesting a blossoming romance. Upon reading it Hermione was worried that it would affect her relationship with Draco but luckily he had seen the funny side of it.

She had been sat in the shared garden when he had sat down beside her clutching the magazine opened at the article concerning them.

"Hello my alleged lover." He grinned.

"You've read it then?" Hermione sighed. "Stupid isn't it?"

"Oh I don't know, I think it's cute." He teased, nudging her with his elbow.

She couldn't help but laugh, "I guess it is a little funny. But I don't even want to think about my parents reaction to it."

"Or your dear boyfriend Weasel-face." He laughed, "I'm sure he's completely distraught."

"I've told you a million times I do not like Ron in that way!"

"I should think so," he joked, "Otherwise you'd be making a complete mockery of our relationship."

Back in England however people were taking the news as light-heartedly as Hermione and Draco. Harry was furious. He had been idly flipping through the Quibbler while at Ron's; it wasn't something he usually read not since Luna had published the article about his and Ginny's marriage. He hadn't been concentrating on the articles, just turning the pages to give him something to do until he had glimpsed the one of Hermione and Draco holding hands. It didn't register immediately, and he had already passed it before he realised what he had seen, quickly he flipped back to the article and began to read.

"Have you seen this?" Harry demanded when Ron wheeled himself back into the room.

"Seen what?"

"This, this _stupid _thing about Hermione and Malfoy!"

Ron took the article off him and quickly scanned it before making his reply.

"Well she did say that they were becoming friends, and he did save her life." He shrugged, "I suppose that it could happen."

"But it's Malfoy! She can't be with Malfoy, he's evil."

"We both know that he's not evil, he came over to our side before the war began."

"Well he's responsible for killing Dumbledore!" He said firmly.

"But he wasn't the one to do it, Snape was, and Malfoy's probably changed since then, the rest of us have why shouldn't he?"

"It sounds like you're sticking up for him!" Harry accused.

"No but I'm just saying that maybe you're being too quick to judge him. She's our friend Harry, and if Malfoy makes her happy then we should be pleased." Ron reasoned.

"Well I think it's stupid!" He said as he got up, "I've got to go."

With a quick 'pop' Harry disapperated. Reappearing at home he pulled out a quill and some paper and wrote a request to the department of transportation for free passage to Azkaban. Hermione was supposed to be in love with him and he'd be damned if Malfoy was going to change that.


	13. Chapter 13

**Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Thirteen. **

**Proposal.**

The week passed and Hermione returned to work and the afternoon shift with a young female guard named Lizzy. Even though she had only been off a week Hermione found that she missed it, she wasn't sure when it had happened but she had gotten to a point where she enjoyed her work. It was no longer just a way to escape the world. She and Lizzy got on well; they had done many shifts together in the past and were quite happy chatting away while the hours passed.

"So I saw the picture of you and Draco together." Lizzy grinned, "You were looking quite chummy."

"That's because we're friends, no law against that is there?" Hermione asked sharply, she knew Lizzy was only teasing her but she'd already received countless letters from old school friends enquiring as to whether what they had read was true. She was getting a little tired of the subject coming up.

"Ok, ok!" Holding her hands up in mock surrender Lizzy shrugged, "I just thought I'd ask is all. There's something in your eyes when you look at him that seems to be a little more than friendship."

Hermione opened her mouth to protest but was cut off.

"But if you say that there's nothing going on then I believe you."

Shaking her head in denial Hermione went back to her watch. There was nothing between her and Draco, they were just friends. They'd been thrown together in a strange situation and through it they had made a bond, who wouldn't? Sure, he was attractive but that didn't matter because she just didn't think of him that way.

Did she?

She rushed home as soon as she finished her shift and rooting through the box of recycling retrieved the article with her and Draco as the main feature. Sitting down on the bed she scrutinised the picture carefully. Surely, she reasoned, the gleam in her eyes was only because she had been laughing and at the angle her head was she would have caught the sun with them.

Placing the paper down she got up to have a shower, but as she stood underneath the cascading droplets she couldn't get her face out of her head, she had only ever seen that gleam once before and that was in a picture she had destroyed upon her return from the hospital. The one of she and Harry together.

"Damn." She said out loud, she had a crush on Draco Malfoy.

She didn't have long to scrutinise this thought before there came a knock upon her door. Stepping out of the shower and grabbing her dressing gown and wrapped it hastily around her before opening the door.

"Harry." She gawped; of all the people she had expected it to be he hadn't even crossed her mind. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, we need to talk." He replied firmly as he pushed his way inside.

"About what?" Questioned Hermione as she followed him.

"About us."

"Us? There is no us. Not anymore anyway. There's a you and there's a me but I'm afraid we can't be pluralized anymore." Hermione said flippantly, trying her best to disguise the fact that her heart was beating so fast it might have exploded on the spot.

"But what if we could be together again? Would you give it another try?"

As much as Hermione willed her mouth to move but it seemed quite firm on remaining tightly shut and there was nothing the rest of her body could do about it.

Seemingly undiscouraged by silence Harry continued, "Look I know I made a mistake, but I didn't think you were going to wake up ever again, I needed to get on with my life. Ginny was there to comfort me and in my time of need I mistook my feelings towards her as love. I didn't realise how wrong I was until you woke up. But by that time Ginny and I were getting married, I couldn't have ended things with her then it would have crushed her." Moving towards her he took her hands in his and completed the lines he had been practising ever since he had read the article. "But I just couldn't go on with the lie any longer. That's the real reason I ended things with Ginny, she just wasn't you."

For several long moments Hermione said nothing and looking down realising she was still only in her bright yellow dressing gown said. "I need to go and get dressed before I can even begin to think about this." And promptly fled to the safe confines of her room. She sat on the edge of her bed and buried her head in her hands.

"What am I supposed to do?" She moaned quietly to the air in general.

She had thought that all her feels for Harry had gone, but now here he was asking her to give him another chance and it seemed that emotions she thought had dried up were creaking back into her mind through the cracks, confusing her more than she had been before when wrestling with her mind about Draco. Why could life ever be simple, she asked herself sadly before walking over to the wardrobe to decide what to wear.

It was a full fifteen minutes before Hermione returned, fully dressed, to the living room giving Harry a lot of time to be able to think up what he was going to say to her in order to convince he to come back with him. So when she walked into the room dressed in muggle clothes and towelling her damp hair he jumped up and began to speak before she had the chance.

"I never would have started dating Ginny if I knew that there was a chance that you would wake up, you do know that don't you?"

"No Harry I don't know that, because I don't know you. Not anymore. "

"But you must know that I love you. It may be six years since we were even together but I know that I still love you. I'll never stop loving you."

"It's not as simple as love Harry. Yes you may love me but what happens if we get together and you do what you did with Ginny and in a year or so get a jolt and change your mind. What if you decide that actually yes you do love Ginny more than me and run off with her again?"

"Hermione you know you can trust me."

"Do I? You got together with one of my best friends! What if it had been you in the coma and I'd began a relationship with Ron? How would you have felt?"

"I know, it was inexcusable what I did to you, but I've realised how wrong it was. You've got to let me make it up to you."

"How?"

"Do you still love me?"

"I don't know. A part of me does. A part of me always will."

"Then come back to England and marry me." He pulled out a black velvet box and placed it into her hands.

Slowly, with shaky hands, Hermione opened the box, inside was the same ring he had given her out on the battlefield. As the memories flooded her mind tears flooded her eyes, Harry used this moment to give her another push.

"Do you really want to spend the rest of your life here? With a load of people who are just using this as an excuse to escape their past, or do you want to come back home to England where you belong. You'll be with all your friends and family again."

Hermione said nothing. She remembered last time Harry had presented her with a ring, they may have been on a battlefield but it had been the best moment of her life. This time, it seem the happiness had been tarnished a little. There were parts of her positively screaming at her to wrap her arms around him and say yes. But there were other parts, little parts that cowered in the corners of her mind asking her if this was what she really wanted.

Knowing he was expecting an answer Hermione said lamely, "Can I think about it for a while?"

"Of course you can, take all the time you need." Harry said jumping to his feet and kissing her lightly on the forehead. "I'm just an owl away I'll be over in an instant as soon as you've made your decision."

Before Hermione could even formulate an answer in her slow ticking mind he was out the door and gone leaving her gawping into the air.

It was just two days later that Hermione received the news about her father, he'd suffered a mild heart attack and was in hospital. Her mother had sounded positive, the doctors assured them that he would be fine; the only difference would be that he would have to watch what he was eating. Hermione was instructed in the letter not to worry and informed that he'd be out in a few days so there was no need for her to take off.

Knowing that she had Saturday off Hermione sent a letter to the head guard requesting the Sunday off as well as she could spend the weekend at home. She was granted this, so Hermione's nerves were slightly calmed as she knew that she had just two days before she could determine herself how ill her father was.

Unfortunately this was something she was never able to do. Friday morning arrived and with it an owl clutching a letter informing Hermione that her father had suffered a second much more serious heart attack and had passed away in the night.

Sinking down onto her bed in a mixture of despair and grief Hermione was vaguely aware that she was suppose to go to work but couldn't find the strength to get up. It wasn't until an hour later and a guard was sent to track her down did she realise that she had been crying.

After reading the letter and realising why Hermione was in such a state she was taken to the Head office and given compassionate leave so she can go home and help with the funeral arrangements. Hermione gladly took it and after briefly stopping off at her hut to hastily pack some clothes she took a Portkey and arrived home in an instant.

Rushing into the living room where she found her mother sat in complete silence, cup of tea clutched in her hand that she had seemed to have forgotten about. As soon as she saw her daughter she was up in a flash and enveloping her in her arms.

"I'm so sorry mum." Hermione said through her tears, "I should have been here."

"It's okay darling, I know you need to work, it's hard for you when you're so far away."

It was then that Harry's words returned to her, _you'll be with all your friends and family again_, and it was then that she made her decision. Not because she had decided that she could trust Harry, it was simply that she needed to be back in England and unless she wanted to move back in to her family home, which she didn't, she would have to move in with someone. A guard's salary wasn't the sort of thing you could buy a house with.

"Well mum, that may not be a problem for too much longer." She said quietly.

That evening she sent an owl to Harry asking to meet up with her the following day as she had come to her decision.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Fourteen.**

**Leaving. **

"Yes Harry, I'll marry you." Hermione said quietly, her shoulders sagged in what could have been described as defeat.

In an instant Harry's face broke into a wide, triumphant grin. "Oh Hermione I can't even begin to explain how much this means to me! I love you so much." He pulled her into a tight hug.

As he broke away he declared, "Let's do it soon!"

"Do what?"

"Get married! Let's get married soon. I don't want to hang around, let's do it at the start of next month!"

"But that's so soon." Hermione exclaimed, "You can't possibly think that a wedding can be arranged in just a couple of weeks. And what about my father's funeral that's next week, that's going to need planning. We'll need more time than two weeks."

"Of course it can. I've got the money to do it; we've got Grimmauld Place, that's big enough. And what better reason to have the wedding then? Everyone will be upset about your father so we can bring a little happiness into their lives with the wedding." He shrugged. "Look we should have been married six years ago, why should we wait any longer than we need to?"

Knowing she could argue Hermione nodded, "Alright then."

"Great! I suppose we should get started on the plans then."

Three days later Hermione returned to Azkaban Island to request a week's holiday for her honeymoon. It was granted and Hermione was just exiting her hut carrying with her a box filled with some possessions she needed.

"Hermione!" A voice called out from behind her, she turned to see Draco jogging towards her.

"I heard about your father, I'm so sorry." He said, panting slightly, as he caught up with her.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"Is there anything you need? Anything I can do for you?" He asked with a face full of concern.

"No Draco. Thank you but I'll be fine." She smiled, "I have to get going, I'm supposed to be meeting someone in half an hour."

She began to walk and Draco followed, "What's that then?" He asked, his attention directed to the box, "Spring cleaning?"

"No." Hermione shook her head, "Just some things I'll need while I'm away."

Picking up a book that lay on top of the items Draco regarded it cover before flicking his eyes up to meet hers, "And tell me just why you'll need a copy of _A Thousand and One Magical Herbs and Their Uses _while you're planning a funeral? Come to think of it why would you need any of that stuff while you're away?"

Inside the box lay many other books, some photo frames filled with moving, smiling faces and a clock, an ordinary muggle one that Draco knew usually hung in Hermione's bedroom.

"In fact, why would you need any of this stuff? You're only going to be gone a week?"

Unable to come up with a plausible lie Hermione stopped and turned to him before informing him, "Actually I'm leaving. Well, I will be, I haven't handed in my notice yet but as soon as the funeral's done…" She trailed off, a small sad smile across her face as she glanced around at her now familiar surroundings. In a way she would miss this place, it had been a home to her for quite a while, and it seemed to make more sense than England did, even if her best friend on the island ended up as Draco Malfoy.

"So you're going to move back in with your mother? Waste away the rest of your life in the old family home?"

"No actually I won't be." Hermione replied tersely through tight lips, "I'll be moving in with Harry. He came to see me a few days ago, he proposed."

"And I said yes." She added several minutes later, although she knew how obvious that was, it had only been a way to fill the silence that had engulfed them.

"Why him?" Draco asked hoarsely, his voice barely above a whisper.

"What other choice do I have?" Hermione asked desperately, "I need to be close to my family again. You're right I don't want to move back in with my mother, and as I can buy my own house this looks like the only way."

"Does he make you happy?" Draco asked her after a long while of thought.

"What?" Hermione demanded, looking at him as though he was mad.

"Does he make you happy?"

"I'm sure Harry and I will be perfectly happy together." Hermione replied stiffly as though this was the last thing she believed.

"You know as well as I do that's not what I asked. Does he make you smile, make you laugh?" He asked, _like I can do, _he added silently in his head.

Hermione did not reply, glancing down at her belongings she muttered something about being late and began to rush off. She hadn't taken more than ten steps by the time Draco called after her. She stopped and turned back to him, he was rooting around inside an inner pocket of his cloak. Finally he produced a box, red velvet covered and handed it to her.

"Just something so you can remember our day together, I had such a good time." He said with a shrug as he began to walk away, and then as a after thought he added, "consider it a wedding present." And then left her standing alone.

Watching him for several seconds she then turned her attention to the box, opening she gasped as she saw its contents. Atop a silken cushion lay the very same necklace that she had exclaimed over on their trip to London. The very same one she had watched in the window as it beat its wing lazily. The very same one that she had decided to leave behind after looking at the price tag. It cost fortunes!

It was true that Draco's family had once sat on top of a great amount of money, but Hermione was sure, after switching sides he would not have seen the faintest glimmer of that gold upon his parents' deaths. And if her salary were anything to go by Draco would be living off a very small amount for the next several months just to cover the amount he had just splurged on her.

Turning around Hermione left, her head full to the brim with thoughts she left the Island knowing that it was the very thing she shouldn't do. There was more to the necklace than a simple gift, no friend, no matter how close, would simply spend that much on a whim, especially if they no longer had a hefty inheritance to fall back on. But she was getting married, she told herself firmly as she grabbed hold of the Portkey. It would do to be exploring feelings like that at such a time, she added as her feet hit English soil.

It wasn't until after her father's funeral that she saw Draco again, she return to the island to hand in her resignation and after much talk it was agreed that she could use up the rest of her holiday time, unpaid of course, and she would not have to return back to work. With this agreed all Hermione had left to do was clear out the rest of her hut. It wouldn't take long to do, she thought, may as well do it now and get it out the way with. She was half way through packing up the third box when he appeared as the door.

"So you're doing it then?" He asked.

"Yes Draco I am." Hermione replied grimly.

"Well whoop-dee-doo!" He said with a voice filled to the brim with sarcasm.

"Don't be like that Draco." She pleaded.

"Like what? Worried that my friend is making a huge mistake?"

"I am not making a huge mistake, I like Harry I really do, and I don't blame him for leaving me. I was upset at first of course but I understand now."

"Like him? You're going to marry him because you _like _him? You don't even know him Hermione!"

"It's Harry of course I know him."

"No Hermione you _knew _him, you know me. You have no idea what's happened in his life, his hope and fears, I'm the one you know. I'm the one who's been there for you. And I'm the one who saved you life, not Potter! He was too busy with that little tart!"

"Well then I'll learn to know him again, and I'm not asking for someone to save my life, not right now. All I'm asking for is security, somewhere to live close to my friends and family. I loved Harry once, I can learn to do it again." Hermione said firmly, trying to convince herself just as much as she were him.

"You're going to marry him just because you know he'll take care of you? Lots of people could look after you Hermione."

"Oh yeah? Like who?"

"Like me." He whispered.

Before Hermione had the chance to answer the pair heard footsteps coming up behind them and they turned to see Harry approaching them.

"There you are!" He smiled happily, "I thought maybe you'd like some help shifting all this stuff."

He entered the room completely unaware of how bad his timing had been and grinned at Hermione before turning to Draco. "No point in you hanging around any more Malfoy, I'm here now." He said in tone that clearly stated he wanted the man to leave.

"I don't need you to tell me when to go." Draco snarled at Harry, fist clenched.

Hermione, sensing the tension clapped her hands together, "Well it doesn't matter now I'm done anyway. Harry you take these boxes and I'll follow you down with these ones."

Harry picked up the boxes as instructed and after throwing one last glare over Hermione's shoulder at Draco left.

"Hermione…" Draco started but was stopped.

"Stop Draco, just stop. Don't say anything. Look, I may not love Harry but it's the only choice I have ok? So don't you go telling me you know what's best for me, because I already know I shouldn't be doing this." She picked up the last box and walked through the door.

Pausing at his side she held the box in one hand, balanced against her hip and with the other she reached up and cupped his cheek kissing him softly on the lips. "Goodbye Draco." She whispered softly before turning to leave.

"Bloody, bloody Potter!" He whispered when he was alone once more.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Fifteen. **

**Decisions. **

"Oh Hermione darling you look so beautiful!" Her mother gushed as she entered the room.

Hermione tried to smile but failed, her mouth twisting into some sort of grimace instead.

"What's the matter?" Mrs Granger inquired.

With a shrug Hermione merely answered "Nothing." Trying to act naturally.

"Oh come off it, you're my daughter, I know you and I know something's wrong." The older woman said firmly. "You're having doubts aren't you?"

Wordlessly Hermione nodded, tears filling her eyes.

"Then why are you here? If you're not sure that this is the man you should spend the rest of your life with then you shouldn't be stood in a wedding dress getting ready to walk down the isle."

"But I have to mum." Hermione said quietly, "I have to be here for you now that dad's gone and you're on your own."

"Oh you silly girl!" Her mother exclaimed pulling the young woman in to a hug, "You don't need to marry someone just for me. I loved your father very much and it's going to be hard now that he's not here with me, but I'll be ok. And I'm not going to be on my own, I've got your aunt and I've got friends from work. In fact your aunty Janet has invited me to stay with her in Devon for a few weeks."

"So you're not going to be on your own?"

"No darling! Not at all. I don't need you to put a stop to your life just because of me, I'll be perfectly fine." Her mother reassured her.

"But I'm so far away, I won't be close if you need me!"

"Hermione you're a witch, if I need you you'll be able to get there in an instant. I know not being there when your father died upset you, but you don't need to do something so life changingly drastic because of it."

"Are you sure mum?"

"Yes darling, and I know that if your father were here he'd agree with me. From your letters it sounded like you were having such a good time on the island and what about that lovely boy you were photographed with last month? Are you going to give that up just because of your old mum?"

"You saw that?"

"Yeah, Ronald showed me it, thought I'd be interested in what my daughter was getting up to. The boy - Draco was it? – seemed quite taken with you."

"We're just friends mum." Hermione protested quietly.

"Friends do not look at each other the way that he looked at you." Her mother told her with a knowing nod. "Now listen darling I'm not telling you what to do I'm just asking you to think about this. You and Harry were together a long time ago, you've both changed since then, you shouldn't rush in to this. Just promise me you'll think about it?"

Hermione nodded silently as her mother left the room, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Harry was sat on a chair tipped backwards feet propped up on the coffee table. He removed them when someone knocked on the door, letting the chair fall forwards righting itself.

"Come in!" He called, expecting it to be Ron or another guest, he was shocked when Hermione entered the room. "Hermione?"

"Harry, we need to talk."

"What about?"

"This. You and me. Married. Why are we doing it?"

"What are you on about? Why? We love each other!" Harry said furiously.

"But do we? Because I'm not sure if I do, I used to, so much, but that was years ago. You're a different man now, someone I don't know, someone I may not love. I don't even know you anymore."

"Oh yeah? And who do you know? Malfoy?" He demanded. "Come off it Hermione, you're back here now, he might have been the best thing on Azkaban but you're home now you've got your real friends back."

"Draco _is_ my real friend!"

"Yeah right Hermione! It's _Malfoy _why would you be friends with him by choice."

"Don't talk about Draco like that!"

"God Hermione, what's this? You're defending Malfoy? If I didn't know you better I'd think that you had feelings for him!"

"Well obviously you don't know me any better." Hermione whispered.

Neither of them spoke for a long time, they simply stared at one another. It was finally Hermione who broke the silence.

"Do you even love me Harry or am I just something so you're not alone?"

Harry didn't speak, Hermione's words struck him deep rendering him speechless for several seconds.

"You should go." He whispered.

"What?" She looked up at him, shocked.

"I said that you should go. It's not me you love, and you're right I don't love you like that anymore. Go and talk to Malfoy and sort things out with him."

"Really?"

"Yes really." He nodded, a small half smile on his face, "We were kidding ourselves to think this was going to work weren't we? I did love you though Hermione, more than you can even imagine."

"And I loved you too Harry." Hermione said with tears in her eyes, "I thought we were going to be together forever, you and me and Ron. The three of us. I guess things change when you grow up."

"I guess they do." He nodded. "Things have to change, but this time maybe we can still be friends?"

She grinned and let out a laugh as she rushed forward to hug him, "Of course we can."

"But you tell Malfoy that if he ever does anything to hurt you he's got Ron and I to answer to, and we still know some painful hexes." He chuckled as he held her for a few seconds.

She kissed his cheek lightly with a small smile before disapperating with a loud 'crack'.

Draco was sat upon the rocks near the shore, looking out into the vast ocean. He closed his eyes and inhaled the salty air. It was raining, hard, the heavy drops were pelting down on his head as though they were determined to do him some damage but he didn't even notice any more, the cold had already made him numb.

Taking a deep breath Hermione crossed the beach to where he was sat, the rain seeping into her dress, making it heavy and difficult to walk in. she pulled off her veil letting go of it, the wind seizing hold of it and pulling it along the beach. A few steps on she kicked of her troublesome heels and left them on the sand as she continued. Finally she arrived at the base of the rocks and looked at the man who had not noticed her yet.

"Draco." She breathed; he turned and saw he was no longer alone. Silently, with an expression she couldn't read, he stood up.


	16. Chapter 16

**The Cruellest Dream Is Reality **

**Chapter Sixteen**

For a fraction of a second Draco's face broke into a smile, pleased to see the return of someone dear to his heart, but then, as though shooing up invisible barriers his whole demeanour grew cold, his eyes icy, his expression blank.

"Granger." He greeted her with a curt nod, surveying her with hard eyes before adding "Although I suppose judging by your outfit it should be Potter now."

"I preferred it when you called me Hermione." She said quietly, shocked that he could be so blunt after months of being so friendly.

"Yeah well I preferred it when you weren't leaving the island for Potter, I guess we're both having a bad day." He shrugged as he leapt down from the rock and walked past her.

For several helpless seconds Hermione watched him go unable to speak, but finally a desperate cry of "Draco wait, please!" managed to emerge from her lips.

Thankfully he stopped but kept his back to her, did not turn around did not bridge the distance between them. Hitching her skirts up to her knees she made her unsteady way over to him.

"What are you even doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be busy getting drunk at your reception?" He asked when she got into hearing range.

"I came to see you, I needed to tell you something."

"Oh yeah any what's that?"

"I needed to tell you that you were right." She told him.

Frowning he asked, "Right about what?"

"You were right about me, I was making a mistake. I don't love Harry and he doesn't love me. I didn't marry him."

"Then why did you leave?" He asked.

"I was confused. I didn't know what I wanted. I do now! It's you I want Draco, not Harry."

"Well good for you." He muttered and walked off.

Tears welled in her eyes as she watched his retreating back, it wasn't supposed to be like this, she was supposed to return and Draco was _supposed _to sweep her up in his arms not walk off in a huff. With shoulders sagging in defeat she made her way back to her nearly empty cabin.

Opening the door and kicking aside a few empty cardboard boxes she lent against the hallway wall and closed her eyes for just a few moments before gathering her strength and making her way into her bedroom where, to her surprise she found an empty suitcase lay upon her bed with a note attached.

_Hermione, _

_I thought I'd save you the trouble of having to send for your things by sending them for you, and I thought I'd save you the trouble of unpacking by doing that for you too! Finally a household spell mum taught me that's come in handy! _

_Good luck with Malfoy, I suppose he can't be that much of a git if you like him so much. I hope all goes well. _

_Owl me as soon as you get the chance, everything over here is a little manic to say the least but you don't need to worry about that just yet. _

_All my love, _

_Ron. _

Crumpling the note in her hand before letting it fall to the floor Hermione pulled the suitcase towards her looking down into its empty space. Her luggage hadn't even occurred to her when she had left, she'd been too wrapped up in thoughts of seeing Draco again. But it seemed good old Ron had thought of that for her, it was just a shame that he'd gone to the trouble of unpacking for her when it looked like she'd be returning to England so soon. Even moving back in with her mother seemed more enjoyable than spending even one more second than was needed upon the island.

Reaching behind her she tugged on the zip of her dress and peeled the wet clothing away from her skin before pulling on something a little more appropriate to her mood, this of course being sweatpants and a rather large t-shirt. If she'd had a carton of ice cream she would have sat down and devoured it on the spot. But instead she immersed herself in packing, the muggle way, she wanted to kill some time before she left, wanted the scene at the church to have died down a little before she went back to face the music.

Draco was fuming but he wasn't exactly sure why, he had been in a bad mood all day of course. Something he believed he was quite entitled to seeing as it was the day the woman he was falling in love with was supposed to be marrying someone else. But why then, he asked himself, did her return spark such fury within him? There Hermione was just an arms length away and all that was stopping him from reaching out and grabbing her was his stupid pride. He stopped and turned, began towards Hermione's hut and then stopped again. Pride and love. Two big emotions inside him now at war, for a long while he stood letting them do battle in his head. Finally with his fists balled he began to walk.

It wasn't long before he arrived outside Hermione's door he knocked but there was no reply. After a moment of contemplation he pushed open the door and entered. From the end of the hallway he could see her in her bedroom slowly, meticulously folding things before placing them inside the case on her bed. Standing in the doorway he simply watched her for a while before speaking.

"Leaving so soon?" his question made her visibly jump, with a thudding heart she turned to face him as he continued, "some people would think you're running away."

"So what if I am?" She asked defiantly, "It's not like there's anything for me to stay here for."

"You're giving up? Are you really that weak?"

"Well it's obvious that you don't love me so what's the point? Why should I stay here when you made it so clear that you don't want me."

"So know I'm not even allowed to be angry? You left me Hermione! I tried to spill my guts to you but you were too busy planning your wedding to listen to me."

"I was confused! Ever since Harry and I got together it was my dream to get married and have a perfect life with him and then I fell into the coma and when I woke up everything was different. I came here because I could face being in England, yes I ran away, and slowly I got over him, but it was harder to get over the dream."

"Oh come off it Hermione!" Draco snorted.

"No Draco, listen to me," Hermione begged, "I didn't love Harry but with the grief I was feeling because of my father's death it was a comfort to think I'd be able to slip back into the dream. The problem was that I realised by that time I had a new dream." She stepped forward and took his hands in hers.

"And what was that?" Draco asked in a hoarse whisper.

"You Draco, you. I want you Draco." She told him, "I'm so sorry that I left but I promise you that I will never do it again. You can handcuff me to the bedpost if you don't believe me but all I want to do is spend my life showing you how perfect my dream could be."

For a long moment he said nothing, made no reaction, before with a yank at her hands he pulled her into him and covered her mouth with his own.

"I love you Hermione." He whispered.

"I love you." She told him with a grin.

"Now," He added with a smirk, "what were you saying about handcuffs and bedposts?"

**The End**

**A/N** - Sorry it took so long, I've just gone back to school and it's been hectic! I've got exams coming up so revision is a biggie and coursework has to be in by Christmas, plus I've just wasted two hours of every night for two and a half weeks auditioning for West Side Story to not get the part which pissed me off a little, but I guess I can't complain too much I've still got a part... but anyway! it's finished...again. I hope you liked this one better than the first. I'm considering re-writing all of my fics, if anyone would want to read them that is. But I guess I'l have to see if I can timewise and so on. Let me know what you thought of it and keep cheacking out to see if I'm postng any new fics.


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